support - macintosh archivemirror.macintosharchive.org/macintoshgarden.org/files/... · 2019. 7....
TRANSCRIPT
Combat Mission: Beyond Overlord is copyright © 1997-2001 Battlefront.com,Inc., all rights reserved. No part of this manual or program may be reprinted
or otherwise reproduced without the written permission ofCDV Software Entertainment AG. Manual Version 1.2
SUPPORT
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MissionBeyond Overlord
"War is a muddle; it is bound to be. There are somany incalculable accidents in the uncertain
business - a turn in the weather which could notbe foreseen; a message gone astray; a leader
struck down at a critical moment. It is very rarelythat even the best laid-plans go smoothly. The
lesson is to realize this, and to provide, as far aspossible, against the uncertainties of war - and not
be surprised when they happen.�
Field Marshal Earl Wavell duringa wartime broadcast
Found in: Battleground Europe Series; Gold Beach, Normandyby Christopher Dunphie and Garry Johnson, page 82.
Combat
Table of Contents
This manual .................................................. 11General Overview ........................................ 14
Playing the Game .................................................... 14The "We go" Principle ............................................... 15The Big Difference and some Words of Caution ............... 16
Getting Started ........................................... 17How to Install the Game............................................ 17Starting Up the Game ............................................... 17Intro Movie ............................................................ 17Starting Options ...................................................... 18Play Game ............................................................. 19General Briefing...................................................... 20Force Selection & Options ......................................... 20Choose Game Type .................................................. 22
TCP/IP Multiplayer....................................... 23Minimun TCP/IP Requirements .................................... 23Basic Concepts ....................................................... 23Starting a Game ...................................................... 23Joining a Game ....................................................... 24Turn Timer ............................................................ 24Multiplayer Chat ..................................................... 25Special Note for Operations ....................................... 26IP Address Tips ....................................................... 26Lost Connections .................................................... 26
Play by E-mail (PBEM) .................................. 27Starting a PBEM Game .............................................. 27Playing Out a PBEM Game .......................................... 27Sending Files Intact ................................................. 28PBEM Turn Sequence ................................................ 28Successful PBEMing .................................................. 29
Getting to Know the Field .......................... 32Navigating ............................................................. 33
Units .............................................................. 36Selecting Units ....................................................... 36Group Select .......................................................... 36Unit Info ............................................................... 37
DETAILED UNIT INFORMATION .......................... 42Infantry ................................................................ 42Guns/Mortars ......................................................... 44Tanks / Vehicles ...................................................... 45
Setup Phase .................................................. 49Setup Zones ........................................................... 49Orders for Setup Phase ............................................. 49
Issuing Orders .............................................. 51Movement Orders .................................................... 51Impassible Terrain ................................................... 52Waypoints ............................................................. 53Editing Waypoints .................................................... 54Pausing ................................................................. 55Speed................................................................... 55Embarking/Disembarking ........................................... 56
Firing orders................................................ 57Available Firing Orders ............................................. 57Targeting Feedback.................................................. 58Direct Fire and Area Fire........................................... 59Firing Arcs ............................................................. 60Special Equipment ................................................... 60
Terrain.......................................................... 62Buildings ............................................................... 62Building Damage ..................................................... 64Rubble ................................................................. 64Bocage ................................................................. 64Scattered Trees ...................................................... 65Woods .................................................................. 65Tall Pines .............................................................. 65Hedges ................................................................. 65Stone Wall ............................................................. 65Brush ................................................................... 65Grain Fields ........................................................... 66Marsh ................................................................... 66Rough .................................................................. 66Roads ................................................................... 66Bridges ................................................................. 66Railroad Tracks ....................................................... 66Water ................................................................... 67Fords ................................................................... 67Slopes .................................................................. 67Cliffs .................................................................... 67
Hiding and Ambushes .................................... 68Special Orders ............................................. 70
Line of Sight (LOS) ................................................... 70Button Up/Unbutton ................................................ 71Split Squad ............................................................ 72
Tactical ArtificialIntelligence (TacAI) ................................ 74
Ammunition .................................................... 76Small Arms Ammo .................................................... 76Ammo Types for Guns/Mortars .................................... 76Selecting Ammo Type ............................................... 78Long Distance Targeting ............................................ 78Ammo Loss Due to Casualties ..................................... 78Extra and Reduced Ammo Levels ................................. 78
Small arms fire ............................................ 80Suppression ........................................................... 80Infantry Casualties .................................................. 81Hand-To-Hand Combat .............................................. 82Blast Strength ........................................................ 82Infantry Against Armored Targets ................................ 82
Anti-Tank Fire .............................................. 84Hit Chance ............................................................ 84Hull Down ............................................................. 84Misses .................................................................. 85Armor Penetrations ................................................. 86Non-Penetrating Hits ................................................ 87Armor Types .......................................................... 88Armor Skirts (Schürzen) ............................................ 89
Command & Control ...................................... 89Command Delay ...................................................... 90Command Range ..................................................... 90Leadership Abilities ................................................. 91
Morale and Experience................................ 91The Eight Levels of Morale......................................... 92Fanatic Troops ........................................................ 94Experience ............................................................ 94Fatigue ................................................................. 96
Fog of War .................................................... 97No Contact - Level 0 ................................................ 98Sound Contact - Level 1 ............................................ 98First Contact - Level 2 .............................................. 98Contact - Level 3 .................................................... 99Identified- Level 4 ................................................... 99Lost Contact - Generic Unit Marker .............................. 99Option - Partial Fog of War ...................................... 100Option - No Fog of War ........................................... 100
SPOTTING ...................................................... 100Close Air Support ...................................... 101
Artillery and Mortars ............................. 103On-Map Artillery ................................................... 104Off-Map Artillery ................................................... 104Plotting Artillery Missions ........................................ 104Using HQs for Indirect Fire ...................................... 105Artillery Ammunition ............................................. 105Delays ................................................................ 105Adjusting Fire ...................................................... 106Target Reference Points .......................................... 106
Fortifications And Mines .......................... 108Fortified Firing Positions ......................................... 108Barbed Wire......................................................... 109Mines ................................................................. 109Clearing Mines ...................................................... 109
Battles and Operations ............................ 110Battles ............................................................... 110Operations .......................................................... 110
The Environment......................................... 113Time of Day ......................................................... 113Atmospheric Weather ............................................. 113Ground Conditions ................................................. 114
Assault Boats ............................................ 115Smoke and Fire............................................ 116
Smoke ................................................................ 116Fire ................................................................... 116
End of Game ................................................. 117How a Game Ends .................................................. 117Exit Zones ........................................................... 118After Action Reports (Battles) ................................... 119After Action Report (Operations) ............................... 120
Quick Battle ............................................... 122Selecting Battle Options .......................................... 122Purchasing Units ................................................... 124
Create Scenario ......................................... 125Parameters................................................. 127
Battle Parameters ................................................. 127Operation Parameters ............................................ 129
CREATING A MAP ........................................... 132Basic Interface ..................................................... 132
AUTO-GENERATE MAP .................................... 135Map Type ............................................................ 135Tree Coverage ...................................................... 135Hilliness .............................................................. 135
HOW TO MAKE A MAP ..................................... 136CHOOSING UNITS ............................................ 141Editing Units ............................................... 144PLANNING REINFORCEMENTS.......................... 146LOAD BRIEFINGS ............................................ 147TUTORIAL ...................................................... 150
Getting Started ..................................................... 150Discovering the Battlefield ...................................... 151Identifying Your Mission .......................................... 153Becoming Familiar with Your Units ............................ 154Learning How to Issue Orders ................................... 154The All Important Line Of Sight (LOS) ......................... 156Getting Your Units Ready for Battle ........................... 157The Orders Phase, First Turn.................................... 158Watching Your First Turn in Action ............................. 161Moving Through Turn Two ....................................... 162Turn Three Orders Phase ........................................ 162Watching the Action for Turn Three ........................... 163Additional Tips ..................................................... 164
Appendix A ................................................... 166Hotkeys .............................................................. 166
Appendix B ................................................... 170Movement Orders for Infantry and Teams .................... 170Movement Orders for Vehicles .................................. 171Targeting/Firing Orders ........................................... 172Other Orders........................................................ 173Special Orders during the Setup Phase ....................... 174
Appendix C ................................................... 175Troubleshooting .................................................... 175
Appendix D ................................................... 181Technical Support ................................................. 181
Appendix E ................................................... 183A Note About Realism ............................................. 183
Appendix E ................................................... 184Software License .................................................. 184
Index ............................................................ 187
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This manual
This manual is intended to explain the basic game mechanics,help install the game properly and serve as a first source forsolving problems. It also provides a brief introduction to WorldWar Two small-unit tactics; but that is a large, complex subjectthat merits its own treatment far beyond the scope of a gamemanual. Experience, tactical skill and intuition are required tomaster the game and defeat the enemy, and all will developwith time.This manual is also different from many other game manuals.Combat Mission is an extremely dynamic game that uses fuzzylogic and real-world physics models whereever possible insteadof static combat result, terrain modifier or line of sight calcula-tion tables often found in other wargames. Therefore, themanual cannot explain all the game mechanics with absoluteprecision (short of reprinting the computer code!). Instead, ittalks more about chances and probabilities than offensive ordefensive values, hexes and dice rolls.This manual has been divided into five distinctive parts to allowbeginners an easy start, experienced players a quick and handyreference, and a few interesting tidbits for those interested inmore.
The first part - The Basics - covers all the important gamefunctions, menus and features. Starting with the main gamescreen, this section explains all subsections, windows andfeatures step by step in order of appearance.
The second part - The 3D Battlefield - concentrates on thesimulation and action parts of Combat Mission. It describesmajor game elements, like terrain, units, command and con-trol, morale, fortifications, combat resolution, weather, andoperations.
The third part - Making Scenarios - details how to make QuickBattles, scenario Battles, and Operations.
The fourth part - The Tutorial - guides the player through thefirst few turns of an easy scenario, explaining some of themajor game elements, tactics, and features.
Lastly, the fifth part - Appendices - provides handy referencetools to find the information you need when you need it.
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13
The Basics
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General Overview
"On reflection, I came to the conclusion that it wasfortunate ... that the U.S. Army first met the
enemy on the periphery, in Africa rather than onthe beaches of France. In Africa we learned tocrawl, then walk - then run. Had the learning
process been launched in France, it would surelyhave ... resulted in an unthinkable disaster."
General of the Army Omar N. Bradley
Found in: Closing with the Enemy, by Michael D. Doubler, pg 10
Combat Mission: Beyond Overlord is a tactical WWII combatsimulation set in a 3D environment. Players issue orders inturns and then see the action executed in real-time. It simu-lates battles in northwestern Europe immediately following theAllied "D-Day" invasion of Normandy in June of 1944, alsoknown as Operation Overlord, through to the end of the war inMay 1945. Combat Mission allows the player to lead the soldiersof six nationalities (U.S., British, Canadian, Polish, French, andGerman) into battle, using historical Tables of Equipment andOrganization (TO&E), surroundings, and combat results. Com-bat Mission is not a video game. It requires thoughtful strategyand tactical skill to overcome the enemy while preserving one�sown forces and achieving the mission objectives.
Playing the GameThe basic game engine is simple. Both players issue their orders in
the Orders Phase. The game is paused and players can take asmuch time as they like to plan their actions and issue orders totheir units.
After giving orders to their units, players click the GO! button.The computer calculates the Action Phase, 60 seconds of real-time combat, based on both players� orders. After the calcula-tion (usually between a few seconds for small engagements upto a minute or more in extremely large battles), the ActionReplay begins and the simultaneous action in real time playsout on the screen. Players have no influence at this stage onthe results of the orders they have given, but the player is notjust a spectator. Instead, the player can move around the
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battlefield while the action unfolds using the virtual camera tozoom, pan, and move up and down. Doing this is an importantpart of the game, as it reveals a lot about the actions of theenemy and is vital for future planning.
The Action Replay can be reviewed an unlimited number oftimes to make sure no important event is missed. After theAction Replay is ended, by clicking on the DONE buttone, onegame turn is completed and the next turn starts again with anOrders Phase.
The game ends when the turn limit for the given scenario hasbeen reached, or a mutual cease-fire is agreed to, or one sidehas surrendered (sometimes forcibly, when casualties areextreme).
The "We go" PrincipleAlthough Combat Mission is essentially a turn-based game, it
moves away from the classic "I go, you go" (IGOUGO) gamesystem used by many other wargames. "I go, you go" is a highlyabstracted way to incorporate the flow of combat into a battlesimulation, allowing players to move their units one by one,before their opponents can move theirs. Further abstractionslike opportunity fire and assault movement phases are neces-sary to make this concept more realistic, and still there aremany loopholes left for "gamey" and unrealistic tactics like theability to "scout" the terrain ahead with an unimportant unit(e.g. a truck) before moving the bulk of one�s forces, all in onegame turn. In short, IGOUGO is a holdover from the days oftabletop wargaming where no computer was available to do thenumber-crunching generally required for accurate simultaneousmovement.
Instead, Combat Mission uses "simultaneous execution", orsimply "we go" as explained above. Players are not allowed tointeract with their forces during the real-time Action Phases toprevent micromanagement of one�s own troops and simulatethe unpredictability and chaos of combat. In other words,players cannot change orders while they are being carried out.The player can, however, click on units to obtain detailed infoabout their status, change the camera positions and replay theaction as often as they like.
Since both players are forced to issue orders to all of theirunits before they see the outcome of one unit�s actions, most
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"gamey" aspects of "I go, you go" systems disappear. Real worldmilitary concepts like coordination and concentration of forces,bases of fire, overwatch - just to name a few - can now betranslated right into the game, with the same results, risks,and problems as in the real world. In fact, you will be forced touse them if you want to defeat the enemy.
Combat Mission remains a "turn based" game, however, in thesense that each turn is preceded by an Orders Phase in whichthe action in paused. We chose this arrangement because wefeel it is conducive to players� development of thoughtful andrealistic strategies, rather than the "click fest" that some fully"real time" games can become, where all the orders and actionoccur simultaneously. It is our opinion that pure "real time"works only at a very small scale, where there are perhaps justa few soldiers under a player�s command. It does not work wellat the scale of a full company or battalion, which is the levelsimulated by Combat Mission.
The Big Difference and some Words of CautionIn many respects, Combat Mission is just different from wargames
you have played before; in others, it is groundbreaking. Theintroduction of a real 3D environment into a wargame hasintroduced elements of a true simulation, eliminating many"crutches" known from the days of classic hex-based "I go, yougo" wargames. The best way to approach Combat Mission:Beyond Overlord is with an open mind, not holding on tootightly to old habits you may have picked up playing otherwargames.
Apply common sense and intuition and don�t expect "gamey"tactics to work - no matter how successful they were in othergames. Because Combat Mission: Beyond Overlord uses real-time Action Phases, you won�t be able to observe the results ofthe action of one unit before having to order another one to dosomething. You will be forced to plan ahead, use timing,suppression fire, feints and flanking attacks to survive, letalone to win. When planning your moves, think about whatwould work in the real world, not what would work in �game�.
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Getting Started
How to Install the GameComputers Running Windows
1. Insert CD-ROM into your computer�s CD-ROM drive2. Double-click "Setup.exe" (sometimes just listed as "Setup")3. Follow the on-screen instructions
Computers Running MacOS1. Insert CD-ROM into your computer�s CD-ROM drive.2. Double-click "Install Combat Mission"3. Follow the on-screen instructions
Starting Up the GameComputers Running Windows
1. Make sure your Combat Mission CD-ROM is in your drive2. Click on the Start Menu3. Select "Programs"4. Go to "Combat Mission Beyond Overlord" directory5. Select "Combat Mission Beyond Overlord" program
Computers Running MacOS1. Make sure your Combat Mission CD-ROM is in your drive2. Locate the "Combat Mission Beyond Overlord" folder (in-stalled, by default, in the same place as your System Folder)3. Double click on the "Combat Mission Beyond Overlord"application
Intro MovieEvery time you launch Combat Mission it displays a QuickTime�
(a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.) movie to help get you inthe mood. Your computer must already have QuickTime�installed for this to work. Macintosh machines come withQuickTime� preloaded, but machines running Windows do not.So if you are using Windows you need to download the freeQuickTime� software from, Apple Computer�s Website in orderto see the movie (if you don�t, the movie will simply be skippedwith no adverse result).
Note: Clicking the mouse skips the movie. Also, if youhold down the Shift key while CM starts up you cantoggle the movie on/off permanently.
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Starting Options
Play Game - Allows you to start a new battle (including arandomly-generated Quick Battle) or operation and to load asaved game
Join Multiplayer - Allows you to load a PBEM file from youropponent or play via TCP/IP
Create Scenario - Opens the scenario editor, in which you cancreate your own maps, battles and operations
Exit - The Exit button brings you back to your Desktop. You�llhardly ever use this one!
Each one of these is explained in further detail in the followingsections.
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Play GameSelect a battle, saved game, or operation you want to play from
the Load Window or start a new randomly generated QuickBattle Scenario with a few mouseclicks.
The Load screen shows you all available battle and operationfiles in the "Scenarios" folder of the Combat Mission directory.
In the upper right corner of the screen, you can toggle thedisplay to Battles or Operations. Battles are the standardCombat Mission scenario type. Operations are a series ofBattles spanning a couple of hours or even a few days of simu-lated time (some people might call them "short campaigns").
The top entry in the window is Quick Battle, which allows youto randomly generate a Do-It-Yourself scenario. Below that, youwill find entries for any previously saved games (none if this isthe first time you enter this screen).
Following that you will notice all the scenarios available,including those that come with the game CD as well as any thatyou might have downloaded or created yourself.
Note: you will have to copy downloaded scenarios andoperations into the "Scenario" folder of your CombatMission directory to make them appear on this screen.
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For each battle and operation, the follow info is displayed:- its name- its length (number of turns for battles, and number of battles
for operations)- its size (tiny, small, medium, large, and huge), depending on
the number of units in the game- a short description of the engagement- two icons representing the two main opposing forces (in
scenarios with a mixed force, e.g. Canadian/British units,the icon shows the bigger force)
From left to right: United States, British, Canadian, French,Polish, US Airborne, British Airborne, Polish Airborne, Heer(German Army), Waffen Grenadier (Paramilitary),Fallschirmjäger (Airborne), Gebirgsjäger (mountain troops),Volkssturm (�People�s Army�)
GO BACK allows you to return to the main game screen, whilePLAY SCENARIO opens up the GENERAL BRIEFING screen to giveyou a more detailed description of the selected engagement.
General BriefingDescribes the battle/operation background and gives an idea
what the battle/operation is all about.
Down Arrow - Scrolls the text down (if longer than one windowlength)
Up Arrow - Scrolls the text back up
Cancel - If you don�t like what you read, click on cancel to goback to the main screen.
Done - Click on it when finished reading to play the battle/operation.
Force Selection & OptionsThis screen allows you to select which side you want to play -Allied or Axis - by clicking on the appropriate button. Besidesthat, you can also set a number of options to customize thescenario.
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Fog Of WarNone - enemy units are visible all the time and detailed infor-
mation is available for all of them.
Partial - enemy units are spotted only when one of yourfriendly units has actually spotted them. However, theenemy unit positions and details are always identified cor-rectly and revealed to the player immediately.
Full - enemy units are spotted only when one of your friendlyunits has actually spotted them. Detailed information aboutthe spotted enemy will be revealed only after it becomesavailable, such as after the enemy has closed to within acertain distance of your forces and has been under observa-tion for some time.
Computer Player SetupFree to place units - the computer can place its defending
forces as a human player would, within the restrictions ofthe setup zones predefined by the scenario designer.
Stick to scenario default - the computer player can not moveits forces and instead leave them as preset by the scenariodesigner.
Computer Experience BonusFor an added challenge the Experience level of the computerplayer�s troops can be increased up to 3 levels above thescenario designer�s settings. For example, if the computerplayer has one Green and two Regular platoons a �+1� settingwould change that to one Regular and two Veteran platoons.
Play BalancePlay Balance lets you set a handicap for battles (not availablefor Operations) by assigning extra units to one side. Choicesrange from "No change" to "+200% troops". The percentagevalue determines how many extra troops are added to a givenside. If the scenario allocates 1000 points to a side and thehandicap is set to +100%, then that side will start the gamewith 2000 points. The computer automatically adds extratroops, of the same types that are already included in thebattle, to the side selected to receive them. This means that ifa scenario only has M4A3 Shermans, no other tanks other than
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M4A3 Shermans are added - if any. When several types of unitsare in scenario, the game randomly chooses which ones to add.
After selecting the side you wish to play and the options, youcan choose which type of game you want to play.
Choose Game TypeMake your selection and click on OK to proceed. The two screens
that come next allow you to choose the following options
Single Player - Play a single player game against the computer.
Hotseat - Two players can play on the same computer in hot-seat mode.
EMAIL - Start a Play-By-Email-Game (PBEM)
TCP/IP - Start a game over the Internet------------------------------------Detailed Briefings - Gives you a detailed description of your
forces, mission and objectives.
Down Arrow - Scrolls the text down (if longer than one windowlength)
Up Arrow - Scrolls the text back up
Done - Click on it when finished reading to play the battle/operation.
Password (Hotseat, EMAIL and TCP/IP PLAY ONLY) - Whenplaying against another human opponent, the game will nowask you for a password. Enter the password and click on OK.This brings you to the 3D battlefield map.
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TCP/IP Multiplayer
Minimun TCP/IP RequirementsTo play using a the Internet or a LAN you need two players both
using Combat Mission version 1.1 or later, on either a Mac orWindows based machine. An active connection to the Internetor a TCP/IP based LAN is also a requirement. You might needspecial networking software for LAN games played betweenMacintosh and Windows based systems. Alternatively, twopeople can also Play By E-Mail (see next section).
Basic ConceptsOne player is designated as the Host and the other as the Guest.
The Host is responsible for picking the Scenario or Operationand selecting any applicable parameters for a Quick Battle.Combat Mission picks the faster computer to process turns on,so the Host need not be the person with the best machine foroptimal game performance.
Note: Because there is no method for Quick Battle options(time period, unit restrictions, point totals, etc.) to beseen by the Guest, the Host should communicate theseusing email, IRC, phone, or the in-game chat feature.
Starting a GameThe Host starts up an Operation, Battle, or Quick Battle in the
normal way (see Getting Started section). Once the game isloaded the Host selects the side to play then is presented withthe connection choice screen (see previous page). Click on theTCP/IP option and select a turn time limit if desired. After thisis done, click on OK, enter a password, and click OK again.
Note: The optional turn time limit governs both Actionand Orders Phases combined, however the Setup time istwice the amount of the timer setting. Keep in mindhow big the battle is and the amount of time pressurethe players both want to have. Quick turn times forlarge battles are probably not a good idea.
The next screen you see is the Host Connection Page. This listsall of the Host�s Current IP addresses, one of which the Guestneeds in order to connect to the game (see IP Address Tipslater in this section). The Host must wait until the Guest
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connects, at which point the game proceeds almost like asingle player game in terms of the game mechanics.
Joining a GameAll the Guest needs to do is start up Combat Mission, click on the
Join Multiplayer button, then select Join Network Game. Atthis point a screen appears asking for the Host�s IP address.This number must come from the Host at the time the game isset up. Once the IP address is entered a connection with theHost should be established almost immediately and startdownloading the scenario data so that the game can begin.
Note: Unlike many multi-player games, a scenario fileonly needs to be present on the Host�s system for agame to play correctly.
Turn TimerOne of the unique features of TCP/IP play is the optional Turn
Timer, which is set by the Host before the Guest joins thegame. Each player has twice as much time as the Turn Timer'ssetting in order to set up units in the Setup Phase. For ex-ample, a setting of 2 minutes allows 4 minutes. Once the gamebegins the selected time is shared between the Action PlaybackPhase and the Orders Phase. This means you have only oneblock of time to view the action from last turn and issue ordersfor next turn.
Each player has one "free" viewing of the Action Playback (i.e.60 seconds). After this "free" 60 seconds the timer automati-cally starts counting down. Multiple reviews of a movie quicklyeats into the total amount of time you have to give orders. Thetimer switches to a warning color (red) as it gets close to zero.
Note: If the player clicks on "Done" right away, and stopsviewing the playback, the timer starts counting down.In other words, the extra 60 seconds can only be usedfor watching the playback, not for issuing orders.
The timer continues regardless of what the player is doing, likeswitching Combat Mission to the background to check email. Ifa player needs to take a break for any reason a Pause requestcan be made. This is accomplished by pressing the Alt (orCommand on the Macintosh) and P keys at the same time. This
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flashes a message on both player�s screens requesting theTimer be temporarily disabled. The other player now has theoption of accepting by requesting a Pause also, or denying thisrequest by doing nothing. When both players request a Pause amessage pops up indicating that the Timer is disabled for therest of that turn. Both players can now take as long as neededto complete the turn. When both players have clicked on the"OK!" button (or "Done!" if in the Action Playback Phase) thegame proceeds with the time re-enabled. If a Pause is issuedduring an Action Playback Phase the timer remains disableduntil the the next full turn.
Multiplayer ChatEach player can send a text "chat" message to the other. To
activate the Chat feature, press the "`" (tilde) key or thenumber "0" (zero) key. Users with non-US standard keyboardsmost likely can only use the "0" key. You can now type in yourmessage and press the "Enter" key to send it. If a message is nolonger necessary, but the entry box is already presented,simply press the "Enter" key with no text typed in. Messages aredisplayed in the upper right corner of the screen and new onesare announced by an audio "squawking" sound on the receivingplayer's system.
Note: As soon as a Guest join a game the players canbegin chatting. At this point it is a good idea for theGuest to send a brief message to indicate to the Hostthat the connection is indeed established.
Chat messages can not be viewed when in the 2D part of thegame. This means while you are in a Briefing screen you cannot read or responded to messages. However, the audio"squawking" sound can be heard to indicate the other player istrying to make contact.
Special Note for OperationsOperations proceed just like normal single battle except that at
the completion of one battle you are shown the current Opera-tion Debrief Screen. Remember that you cannot chat whenviewing this screen. As soon as both players click OK the nextbattle will commence to load and the setup phase will begin.
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IP Address TipsWhen a player Hosts a game, Combat Mission lists ALL the IP
addresses assigned to a system. If you have multiple modems ornetwork cards it will list all IP addresses associated with thosedevices. What it can't do is tell you which one is the correct IPaddress as it depends on how your system is configured. Usersof AOL, for instance, may have up to three addresses listed.You will need to have your opponent try to use each IP addressin order until they find the one that allows connections. Onceyou have found the correct IP address, make note of its placein the list since it should always be the same one. For example,let's say when you host a game Combat Mission shows threeseparate IP addresses. You give the first one to your opponentand it doesn't work but the second one makes a connection. Inthe future, the correct IP address should always be the secondone in the list even though the address itself may change.
If you need more help with IP addresses, please see AppendixC - Troubleshooting.
Lost ConnectionsIf at some point during play the connection is lost (not uncom-mon for even "stable" Internet connections) both playersreceive messages indicating that the connection is now brokenand the game must be restarted by loading the autosave. Theautosave file is created on each players' system when the gamedetects the players are no longer connected. It does not matterwhich player reloads the autosave, and thereby acts as Host,but depending on the timing of the disconnect some orders mayneed to be reissued. Autosaves created due to a broken con-nection during the Action Playback does not allow either playerto issue any orders. This is done to prevent one player frompurposefully breaking a connection during a turn that is goingbadly in order to "redo" orders.
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Play by E-mail (PBEM)
Playing by E-mail (PBEM) can be an extraordinary gaming experi-ence. Matching your tactical skills directly against those ofanother human opponent, regardless of where he is in theworld, will bring your enjoyment of Combat Mission to newheights.
PBEM games play just like single player games against the AI,except that each time you finish a game turn, you will need tosend this information to your opponent.
Starting a PBEM GameTo start up a Play By E-Mail game one player starts up an Opera-
tion, Battle, or Quick Battle in the normal way (see GettingStarted section). Once the game is loaded the player selectsthe side to play then is presented with the connection choicescreen. Click on the �Email� button, click on OK, enter apassword, and click OK again. See below for how the gameflows from turn to turn.
To load a PBEM file from another player, load Combat Missionand then click on the �Join Multiplayer� button. Click on the�Load Email� button and then select the appropriate PBEM file(usually recognized by the .txt suffix).
Playing Out a PBEM GameAfter you click GO!, Combat Mission generates a text file, which
contains the encrypted turn data that needs to be emailed toyour opponent. You are asked to name the file, which is savedinto the PBEM directory within the CM directory. The defaultname is PBEM, but you can change it to anything you like.
When renaming the file it makes sense to use a short descrip-tion of what that file is, as it will allow you to track downquickly what game and which turn it is. The moment you startplaying more than one PBEM game at once, you�ll learn toappreciate naming your files logically. There are many ways todo this. You can simply number the files in sequence, startingwith "Villers 1" - this is the easiest way to find a file. If you alsowant to know exactly what the file contains, you could alsolabel it "Villers Turn 15 US", or "Steve Setup US". Use whicheverfile names work best for you. Remember that files with the
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same name will be overwritten - that�s why it makes sense tolabel files after the scenario name or even your opponent�sname.
Sending Files IntactIt is very important that both players use the same, compatible
method for sending PBEM files to each other. If one player can�tload a file it is most likely because of a transmission error dueto an incompatible email format. Macintosh users playingagainst Windows users should pay close attention to this!Generally it is best if �uuEncoding� is used without any form ofcompression. Since the files are text compression generallydoesn�t reduce transmission times that much. If you should usecompression make absolutely sure that it can be decoded onthe other end.
PBEM Turn SequenceThe turn sequence in PBEM games is designed to allow for a fast
game, but at the same time provide security and preventcheating. One of the weakest points in the PBEM chain of somegames is that a player can open the file sent to him by hisopponent as often as he likes, plotting new orders for his unitsuntil he achieves the results he wants. This is not possible withCombat Mission, since the PBEM turn sequence prevents theplayer from watching the Action Phase before sending the fileto his opponent.
The PBEM sequence goes like this:
1. Player A starts a scenario and chooses the side he wants toplay. He chooses a password and enters the game during theSetup Phase and positions his units. After hitting GO!, thePBEM file is generated. He emails this file to Player B.
2. Player B opens the file, chooses a password for himself, andenters the game during the Setup Phase. After positioning hisunits and hitting GO!, the PBEM file is generated, which hesends to Player A.
3. Player A opens the file, plots his turn one orders and hitsGO!. He sends the file to Player B.
4. Player B opens the file and plots his orders for turn one. Hedoes not watch the Action Phase yet - he has to email thefile to Player A first.
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5. Player A watches the Action Phase, and sends a file back toPlayer B.
6. Player B watches the Action Phase, after that he plots histurn 2 orders.
7. Player A plots his turn 2 orders.
8. Player B watches turn 2 Action Phase.
9. Player A watches turn 2 Action Phase and plots turn 3 orders.
10. Player B plots turn 3 orders.
11. Player A watches turn 3 Action Phase.
12. Player B watches turn 3 Action Phase and plots turn 4orders.
Steps 7 to 12 repeat until the game ends.
Successful PBEMingBut in order to start and complete a PBEM game successfully, alittle bit of organization can help. Without it, PBEM-ing canquickly become a frustrating experience: whose turn is it?Where is the last file? Did I plot my last turn already? Did thelast PBEM file get overwritten? There is no one right way toorganize PBEM game files, so do whatever works best for you.
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The 3DBattlefield
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Getting to Know the Field
"I can see again the earth banks, the greenhedgerows, the white dust of Normandy, andI can feel again the hush and quiet, the grim
and threatening quiet, that broods over afrontline position."
Major Cooke (8th Royal Scots) after the war
Found in: On the Front Lines by John Ellis, page 76
The 3D battlefield is the heart of Combat Mission. Here is whereepic battles are fought and either won or lost. There are a fewfundamental things you need to understand about the 3Dbattlefield in Combat Mission, however, before you can fullyappreciate the concept.
The 3D battlefield isn�t an exact rendering of the internal gamedata. It is merely a graphical representation of the data,presented in as much detail as today�s hardware allows. Thereason for this is simple. While today�s computers can handlecomplicated mathematical models very quickly and efficiently,graphics - especially 3D graphics - are still limited by things likememory (VRAM), drawing speeds, and screen resolutions.Showing real-time action at the scale of Combat Mission withmaps frequently as big as a few square kilometers rapidly eatsup hardware resources. Therefore, while the mathematical 3Dbattlefield used "under the hood" is extremely detailed, thegraphical representation of it has to be (somewhat) simplified.Combat Mission would arrive at exactly the same combatresults even if the screen were blank, though it would not bemuch fun to play! In other words - Combat Mission is not usingon-screen pixels to determine combat results. The 3D graphicsare determined by the internal algorithms, not vice-versa.
The differences between the two models are marginal in mostcases, but sometimes they can impact gameplay. The TERRAINsection explains some of the most important differences inmore detail.
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NavigatingThere are several ways to navigate around the 3D battlefield of
Combat Mission.
The ButtonsThe main user interface at the bottom of the screen has anumber of buttons on the right hand side. The arrows on thesebuttons indicate the direction - right, left, forward, and back-ward - in which the camera moves when you click on them. Youcan also rotate the camera left or right using the curved arrowbuttons. Finally, using the up and down arrows you can adjustthe camera�s height in eight steps (or view levels), from a"ground view" (level 1) to a "birds eye" top-down view (level 8).
The MouseYou can also use the mouse to navigate. If you move the cursorto the top of the screen, the camera will automatically moveforward. If you move it to the lower edge of the screen, thecamera will move backward. The right and left edges ROTATEthe camera right and left respectively (or around a point usingthe SHIFT-J option). Holding down the SHIFT key and movingthe cursor to the right or left edges, however, will MOVE thecamera left or right. View levels (height), however, cannot bechanged with the mouse in this manner.
The Number PadThe number pad mimics the main user interface buttons.
7 - rotate left8 - move forward9 - rotate right4 - move left2 or 5 - move back6 - move right
The + and - keys on the number pad changes the view levels upor down, respectively.
View LevelsThe view levels (the "camera" positions) can also be accessedthrough hotkeys. The numbers 1 to 8 on the keyboard (not thenumber pad) switch to the respective view level, with 1 beingground view and 8 being the highest top-down view.
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Map "Jumps"If you want to "jump" quickly from one point on the map toanother, simply hold the CTRL-key and left-click on the maplocation you want to move to. Your viewpoint (the "camera")moves immediately to the new location. This is a great featureespecially for large maps if you need to jump from one edgequickly to another one.
If you hold CTRL and left click on a unit, the map view willautomatically jump to that unit and "lock" the view behind it -see "locking the view".
Fine-Tuning MovementThe four arrow keys on the keyboard can be used to fine-tunemovements forward, backward, left or right. They move thecamera much more slowly than the navigation choices de-scribed above. The , and . keys can be used for fine rotationleft and right, respectively.
"Locking" The ViewYou can also "lock" the camera behind a particular unit andfollow it as it moves on the battlefield. Simply select a unit (byleft clicking on it) and press the TAB key. The camera nowmoves and rotates along with the unit. Holding CTRL while left-clicking on a unit works the same way as using the TAB key.
You can switch view levels while the camera is locked, from a"shoulder shot" to a top-down view. You cannot, however,rotate the camera away from the facing of the unit. Doing sobreaks the "lock".
You can also deselect a unit after the camera has been "locked"to it. This does NOT break the lock. You can even select otherunits without breaking the "lock", as long as you don�t press theTAB key.
ZoomThe [ and ] keys toggle zoom, much like a telephoto lens. Foursettings are available: 1x, 2x, 4x, and 8x. Note that this dis-torts the perspective of scale to some degree the higher themagnification.
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Scaling UnitsThis feature is especially useful when trying to get an overviewof the battlefield is CM�s scaling option. It allows the graphicalenlargement of friendly and enemy units to make them moreeasily viewable from greater distances. Scaling has no meaningto the game�s internal calculations no matter how big or smalla unit looks on the screen. This is merely a visual aid for theplayer.
Scaling can be toggled by the hotkey combination SHIFT-C.Scaling is dynamic, i.e. units further away are scaled more thanunits closer by.
Action ReplayDuring the Action Phase replay, the player has the ability torewind and replay the action as often as he likes. The playbackcontrols are located in the lower part of the screen, on theright side of the main user interface and the navigation but-tons.
The playback controls work just like the controls of your VCR.There are buttons for PLAY (to start the replay), FULL REWIND(to reset the movie to the beginning), REWIND, and FORWARD.To rewind or forward the action move in 2 second intervals(instead of 10), hold the shift key while clicking the respectivebuttons. Additionally, once you hit the PLAY button it changesinto a PAUSE button, allowing you to stop the replay at anytime.
Once the action plays back completely the first time, the DONEbutton appears under the VCR controls and start blinking. Youcan still rewind and watch the action as many times as youwant, though. Once you�re finished, click the DONE button.This ends the Action Phase and bring you to the beginning ofthe next turn�s planning phase.
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Units
Units in Combat Mission represent squads, teams, individualvehicles, and guns with their crews. These are (with a fewexceptions discussed below) the smallest tactical elements thatcan receive orders. In other words, in Combat Mission you donot tell every individual soldier what to do, but instead issueorders to groups of men from the position of a squad or teamleader.
Although you see individual figures standing on the map thesedo not represent single men, but rather a group. In the case ofsquads, usually three figures (two if you use the "reducedfigures" option) represent anywhere from 7-14 men. Teams(including HQs and gun crews) are shown as one figure regard-less of the actual team size - a design decision to keep squadsand teams easily recognizable.
Designer�s Note: We would have loved to have shownevery single man on the battlefield, but current com-puter hardware does not allow this if we want to keepthe scope of Combat Mission at battalion level. Singlemen and their position on the battlefield ARE trackedwith regard to casualties and individual positions, albeitsomewhat abstractly.
Selecting UnitsA unit can be selected in two ways, the easiest being to left-click
on it. A yellow frame then forms around the unit and the itsdetails are displayed in the main user interface at the bottomof the screen.
Alternatively, you can also use the + and - keys on the keyboard(not the number pad) to jump back and forth between yourfriendly units. The units are selected according to their IDnumbers, i.e. A1, then A2, A3 and so forth.
Group SelectWhen a lot of units are on the map you can speed up issuing
orders, or quickly move formations around during the SetupPhase, using the group-move function. There are two ways toenter group mode:
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Click and dragSimply left-click and drag a square box around the units youwish to select. The units within this box will appear with a bluehighlighted box around them, indicating that they are in"group" mode.
Formation selectBy double-clicking on a platoon HQ (e.g. B-0), all of its subordi-nate units (e.g. B-1, B-2, B-3) including any teams currentlyattached, become highlighted.
If you want to add another unit to the selected group, or if youwant to deselect a unit already in the group, simply left-clickonce on it while holding the SHIFT key. Selecting a currentlyunselected unit without holding the SHIFT key cancels "group"mode.
In group mode members of the group can now be issued thesame order with a couple of mouseclicks or one hotkey. Right-clicking on any of these units brings up the group orders menu.These are the available orders for the group. However, they donot include some special orders which can be used only bysome units. These orders need to be issued to such unitsindividually (you have to deselect the group first).
The order you give for the selected unit is copied automaticallyfor all other units within the selected group. If you order aFAST command to a group which contains units with heavyloads that cannot run, they will MOVE instead. If the destina-tion for a unit happens to be illegal (e.g. water for any unitother than an assault boat) that unit receives no order at all.After giving a group order, the order for each individual unitcan be changed, cancelled or modified. Simply deselect thegroup, select the individual unit, and issue orders normally.
Unit InfoWhen a unit is selected, an information screen appears in the
bottom central area of the screen. The selected unit�s mostimportant data is shown here.
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PictureThere are different generic pictures for each nationality, trooptype (infantry, vehicle crews, etc.) and rank (HQ units).
FlagShows the nationality the unit belongs to.
NameThe name and rank of the selected unit.
ID TagEvery unit on the map has its own ID tag. There is a simplesystem behind tags. The highest HQ unit in the game (could bea company HQ or a battalion HQ) is always A-0. All otherbattalion or company HQ units are then numbered, i.e. A-1, A-2, A-3 etc., in descending order.
Platoons are labeled B, C, D etc. in descending order, with B-0,C-0, D-0 etc. being the Platoon HQ, and squads being num-bered, B-1, B-2, B-3, C-1, C-2, etc.
Support weapons like MG teams, Panzerschreck teams, ATGuns, mortars, etc. are labeled and numbered independently,T-1, T-2, T-3, etc.
Vehicles are labeled V and numbered independently as well, V-1, V-2, V-3, etc.
Radio IconIf crossed out (in red) the unit is NOT in command and willsuffer from a higher command delay. Otherwise, the unit is incommand and benefits from the commanding HQ�s leadershipabilities. (See COMMAND & CONTROL section)
Leadership Icons (HQ units only)HQ units have special leadership abilities, which (if better thanaverage) are also shown in the unit info window as icons. Eachicon represents a leadership ability:
Star: CommandLightning Bolt: CombatHeart: MoraleQuestion Mark: Stealth
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If the attribute is +2 (the highest rating), the icon appears in agolden box. More about leadership abilities can be found in theCOMMAND & CONTROL section.
Unit TypeThe unit type is displayed here (e.g. �Panther G�, �Platoon
HQ�, etc.)
Unit ExperienceA quick glance reveals if the unit is conscript, green, regular,veteran, crack, or even elite. See the EXPERIENCE section ofthis manual for details.
FatigueUnits are usually "Rested", but can degrade to "Ready", �OK�,"Tired", "Weary" and "Exhausted" as the battle progresses. Youshould allow your troops to rest after running for more thantwo turns in a row, otherwise they will become exhaustedquickly. Troops with heavy loads (e.g. machineguns or mortars)tire more quickly, and the ground conditions (e.g. deep snow)play an important role as well. Exhausted troops cannot run orsneak.
HeadcountThe number beside the helmet symbol shows the ACTIVE (i.e.living, unwounded) members of the selected unit.
CasualtiesThe number beside the medical cross shows the number ofdead, wounded, or otherwise incapacitated or missing (in otherwords: INACTIVE) members of the selected unit.
AmmoThis number represents how many "shots" the selected unit has.For infantry units, this is not necessarily the number of actualbullets available, but instead an abstracted number averagedacross all members of a unit. Small arms ammunition nevercompletely runs out. Instead, when the ammo number dropsbelow 1, the word LOW is displayed. This signals that the unitwill fire only in self-defense, and even then only infrequentlyand at reduced strength. This simulates the occasional scroung-ing of ammo off the battlefield as well as exchanging the lastfew clips between squad members.
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Vehicles and Guns/Mortars have their ammo displayed in adifferent fashion. Each round is tracked individually. A letterfollowing an ammo number indicates the ammo type.
h - High Explosive (HE)a - Armor Piercing (AP)c - Hollow Charge or Shaped Charge (HEAT)t - Tungsten core (HVAP, APCR, APDS, SVDS, or PzGr40)s - Smoke
See the AMMUNITION section for more details
Some squads may also have special weapons. Small iconsrepresent any additional weapons the unit might have at itsdisposal (e.g. Panzerfausts, rifle grenades, demolition charges,and Gammon bombs). Each icon represents one "shot" avail-able.
Hand grenades are not tracked individually in the game.
Designer�s Note: if in an average 10-men squad, everysoldier is imagined to carry two handgrenades, eachsquad would have about 20 grenades available. Sincerarely are more than four or five grenades used in thecourse of a battle, tracking them would detract morefrom the simplicity of the interface and game play thanwould be gained in realism.
StatusThe status window displays additional information (if appli-cable) about a unit, such as:
Reloading - some weapons take a relatively long time toreload. While a unit is reloading, be it a Gun or Tank, itcannot fire its main gun, although secondary weapons (e.g.bow-machineguns for tanks) can be fired.
Taking Cover - the unit is keeping its head down due to incom-ing fire and is trying to use available terrain for cover.
Bogged - all sorts of vehicles can bog down in unfavorableground conditions like mud or snow. Vehicles with highground-pressure ratings are more likely to bog down as well.Bogged vehicles might be able to free themselves, but alsomight become immobilized.
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Immobilized - not able to move or rotate. This can happen totanks that take a hit in the tracks or engine or that throw atrack due to bogging. Heavy weapons teams which do nothave enough men left to move their gun and ammo can alsobecome immobilized.
Shocked - vehicle crews may become shocked when one oftheir crew members is hit (e.g. the tank commander is shotin an open hatch). Shocked vehicles do not respond to ordersfor a while and are also less likely to spot enemies whilethey�re shocked.
Eliminated - when the last man of an infantry unit becomes acasualty, the "eliminated" tag is displayed and a soldier�sbody is shown at the location where the last man fell.
Abandoned - a gun or vehicle may be abandoned either be-cause the crew routed or has been wiped out, or because ithas sustained progressive heavy damage (like losing its maingun and being immobilized). Abandoned vehicles may berecovered and repaired during operations, but are consid-ered knocked out for game play purposes during the courseof a single battle.
Knocked Out - a vehicle which has suffered major internaldamage, and is now combat-useless, forcing the crew to bailout.
Unlimber - after a Gun has been moved (or transported), itmight need to "unlimber" first before being able to engagetargets. This status will be displayed here, together with anestimate of how long it will take to prepare the weapon forfiring.
Time - only applicable to artillery spotters, this gives theestimated time that it will take before an artillery strikearrives on the specified target.
Located InDisplays the terrain the unit is currently located in.
SuppressionDisplays the degree to which the unit is "heads down" as aresult of enemy fire. See the Morale section of this manual fordetails.
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DETAILED UNIT INFORMATION
Even more detailed unit info can be accessed by pressing theENTER key after a unit has been selected. This opens theDetailed Unit Information window in the upper left corner.Detailed stats about the unit, its weapons, and capabilities aredisplayed here.
Infantry
ID, Nationality and Type of UnitThis shows the ID of the selected unit, which side it belongs to(Axis or Allies) and the type of the unit.
Speed ClassThe speed class determines the speed at which the infantryunit is able to move. The speed class a unit belongs to dependson how much heavy equipment it is carrying. There are fivespeed classes:
Immobile - the unit cannot move on its own and has to betowed (usually only heavy guns, e.g. the 88mm Flak)
Very Slow - usually used for guns can be pushed by their crews(e.g. the 57mm AT Gun)
Slow - light guns, heavy machineguns (e.g. the HMG42)Medium - light machineguns, light mortars (e.g. the 60mm
mortar)Fast - squads, sharpshooters, and the US bazooka team
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Only fast units can use the RUN and SNEAK movement orderssince it is difficult to do these actions while carrying heavyequipment. Very slow units are also not allowed to crawl withthe exception of Panzerfaust and PIAT teams (for short dis-tances only!).
Transport ClassRanges from 1 to 9. Units can only mount vehicles which offerat least the same or higher transport class. Additionally, ve-hicles can only tow guns with the same or a lower transportclass.
Leadership AbilitiesIf the selected unit is an HQ unit, its leadership abilities aredisplayed as, for example, "Morale +1" or "Command +2".
Special EquipmentIf a unit is carrying special equipment (e.g. Panzerfaust, riflegrenades, demolition charges, or gammon bombs), the typeand quantity is displayed here (e.g. "1 Panzerfaust-30" or "2Demolition Charge"
Weapons & FirepowerA list of available small arms for the selected unit is displayed.Which weapons are available depends on the nationality andtype of the selected unit. As the unit takes casualties, indi-vidual weapons disappear from the list, showing that thesoldier carrying that particular weapon has been put out ofaction. Sometimes, however, soldiers can exchange weapons.For example, if the soldier carrying a squad�s machinegun ishit, another soldier of that squad might drop his own weaponand pick it up.
Beside the weapons listing, a firepower table shows the fire-power of each weapon according to the range to a target. Thefirepower (FP) is shown for all weapons of the same type, e.g.5 M1 rifles means 5 x fp 3 at 250m = 15 fp. However, thefirepower as shown in increments of 40m, 100m, 250m, 500m,and 1000m is a reference for the player only - the game engineuses a more precise system measuring down to the meter.
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Guns/MortarsThe first three entries are the same as for infantry units. After
that, the MAIN WEAPON is shown, including caliber (e.g.57mm), muzzle velocity (e.g. 823 m/sec) and a Blast value.The latter indicates roughly how lethal the weapon is within acertain range from the impact point.
Below that is an armor penetration table, which is intended togive a rough idea of the potential of the gun. It�s a rough ideaonly because a lot of factors influence the actual chance ofarmor penetration in the heat of battle.
The penetration table states how many millimeters of armorthe shell can penetrate at four ranges (100m, 500m, 1000m,and 2000m), for three different armor slopes and the best anti-armor ammunition types that the gun can fire.
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Tanks / Vehicles
ID, Nationality, and Type of unitThis shows the ID of the selected unit, which side it belongs to(Axis or Allies) and the type of the unit.
Maximum SpeedThis is as fast as the vehicle can go on a paved road. Cross-country movement is generally much slower.
WeightMeasured in tons (U.S. and metric).
EngineThe horsepower is used for speed and acceleration calcula-tions. Diesel-powered engines are somewhat less likely to catchfire when hit.
Ground PressureMeasurement of the vehicle weight and the surface-contactarea of its tracks. Determines the chance of bogging down.
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SilhouetteA numerical value representing the size of the vehicle, modi-fied especially by its height, that affects gunnery accuracy andspotting against it. A value of 100 is "medium size".
Transport ClassA vehicle can only transport (tow) other units with the same orlower transport class.
Passenger CapacityCan be squad, team or none. Units may ride on the deck of atank for example.
ArmorThe armor table gives the thickness and slope of armor forvarious tank parts (usually turret, upper hull, lower hull, andtop) for the front, sides and rear. Other information mayinclude armor quality (values lower than 100% represent manu-facturing and metallurgical flaws, common in early Alliedvehicles and some late-war German vehicles. Special featureslike armor skirts (Schürzen) or partly-open vehicles (open topand/or sides) are also noted here.
Special EquipmentSmoke Dischargers - small chemical packets mounted on the
outside of a tank that can create a smoke cloud.Smoke Mortar - a small mortar which can be used to fire smoke
rounds in front of the tank.Nahverteidigungswaffe - close defense weapon - hurls a HE or
smoke grenade from the inside of the tank against anyenemy infantry approaching the tank.
Alternate Rear-facing Driver - some German armored carswere equipped with a second driver seat in the rear of thevehicle, allowing them to reverse quickly out of enemy view.
Gyrostabilizer - some tanks (mostly Shermans, Stuarts, andPershings) are equipped with a gyrostabilizing system, whichkeeps the gun barrel level even while the vehicle is moving.This enables the tank fire more accurately on the move.
Special FeaturesBurns Easily - some vehicles stow ammunition and/or fuel in
such a way that internal damage regularly causes the entirevehicle to catch fire.
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Shot Trap - certain vehicles (like the early Panther model A)have a design flaw in their shape, which creates a "shot trap"- a curved surface on the underside of the turret front whichdeflects incoming projectiles downward into the turret ring,or the weakly-armored hull top, where it often penetrateseasily.
Slow ROF - certain vehicles are known for their slow "rate offire", i.e. long reloading times for their main gun. This canbe due to design flaws (e.g. a cramped crew compartment)or especially bulky ammunition.
Turret SpeedTurreted vehicles (mostly tanks but also some armored cars)are rated for their ability to rotate the turret. Four differentspeeds are possible: Fast turret, medium turret, slow turret,very slow turret
Machine GunMost vehicles have one or more machineguns mounted invarious places. Most common are bow and co-axial MGs, withthe first able to fire only within the vehicle hull�s front arc,while the latter can be directed wherever the main gun canpoint. "Flexible" machineguns, usually top-mounted and meantfor antiaircraft purposes, have a full 360º traverse but cannormally only be operated when the vehicle is unbuttoned,though some German vehicles have remote-control capabilityfor these weapons (which, if applicable, is also listed here).Machinegun ammo is listed in brackets.
FlameVehicles equipped with a flamethrower have this entry, to-gether with the available "ammo", i.e. flamebursts. Note thatflames fired at longer ranges can use more than one "ammopoint".
Main WeaponGives the caliber, muzzle velocity and blast strength of themain gun, as well as any other special info, e.g. "rear-facing"for vehicles with guns (or mortars) only capable of firing to-wards the rear of the vehicle.
Armor PenetrationThe penetration table states how many millimeters of armorthe shell can penetrate at four ranges (100m, 500m, 1000m,
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and 2000m), for three different armor slopes (0°, 30° and 60°)and the best anti-armor ammunition types that the gun canfire. These values, however, can vary a lot in the heat ofbattle, and are supposed to give a rough idea only. Also, al-though only four ranges are shown, the game engine uses amuch more precise system (down to a fraction of a meter).
Info/KillsBy clicking on the white Info/Kills box in the upper right cornerof the info screen, you can toggle the display between unitstats and a summary of how the unit fared in the particularbattle so far. To preserve the "fog of war", only verified kills areshown, however - so if your mortar team takes out a squadhiding in woods and nobody sees it, the kills will not be shownhere.
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Setup Phase
When entering the 3D battlefield for the first time to play agame, you are brought right into the Setup Phase in which youare allowed to position your units for battle.
Setup ZonesYou should immediately notice a number of colored setup zones
on the map. There are three setup zones for each side:
Red, White and Blue for AlliesGreen, Black and Yellow for Axis
Units within such setup zones can only be moved within thesame zone or to another zone of the same color. Notice thatthe base beneath a unit displays the same color as the setupzone it is located in. There are two exceptions:
Units with Gray BasesUnits are located in the so-called neutral setup zone andcannot be moved at all. (Exception: Target Reference Points)
Units with Orange BasesUnits are "padlocked" (by the scenario designer) and cannot bemoved at all.
The layout of the setup zones and which units are padlocked ornot, is determined by the scenario designer.
Orders for Setup PhaseDuring the Setup Phase, every unit has a slightly different set of
allowable orders than during subsequent turns. The unit-specific order menu can be accessed by right-clicking on theunit or by left-clicking and pressing SPACE. The available ordersare:
MoveMove the unit within its setup zone or to another zone of thesame color. After moving the unit, the Rotate order is executedautomatically, which allows the player to choose a facing forthe unit. By moving units onto a vehicle, the unit can embark.
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PlaceSame as Move, except that the facing of the unit stays thesame. By placing units onto a vehicle, units can embark.
RotateAllows the player to choose a facing for the selected unit.
Line Of SightLine of Sight tool, which enables the player to check lines ofsight from the unit�s current position.
Dig InOnly available for the defender if defending vehicles areallowed to start dug in (option preset by scenario designer).The vehicle ordered to dig in will be shown with only the turretsticking out from the ground and is considered hull down. A dugin vehicle, however, cannot move during the scenario! Defend-ing infantry automatically occupy foxholes after exiting theSetup Phase.
Button UpAllows tanks and other vehicles to button up (i.e. close theirprotective hatches) prior to game start.
SplitAllows the player to split a squad into two teams.
Activate FlagAvailable only for attacking units when playing on a map withdynamic flags. After choosing this order, you will be promptedto click near one of the dynamic flags to select which one is"real".
AmbushAllows HQ or heavy-weapons units to designate ambush pointsbefore game start. An Ambush Marker is placed on the map.
Note: With the exception of ACTIVATE FLAG and DIG IN,all other orders are also available throughout the restof the game and are discussed in the ISSUING ORDERSsection in detail.
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Issuing Orders
Every unit has its own set of orders which it can perform. Theavailable orders depend on unit type (vehicle, infantry, gun,mortar, etc.) but also on its current status (immobilized,bogged, stunned, etc.).
By right-clicking on a unit, the unit�s Orders menu opens.Alternately, you can press the SPACE key after selecting a unitto bring up its orders menu. Then, you can simply point thecursor over the order you want it to perform and left-click toselect it OR you can use one of the shortcut "hotkeys" displayednext to the order name to select it. (You can use these hotkeyswithout first bringing up the menu - just select a unit and pressa hotkey).
In some instances, simply selecting an order from the ordermenu is all you need to do (e.g. if you want to order the unit toHIDE), and the order is executed immediately at the start ofthe next Action Phase. In most instances, however, you need tospecify a target point for the order (e.g. for movement or fireorders).
In this case, a line will extend from the selected unit towardsthe mouse cursor. Point the cursor to the intended target andleft-click. This completes the order. You can of course navigatearound the map and change view levels as you like, and as longas you don�t click anywhere on the map the order targetselection stays live.
The order lines are color-coded, depending on which type oforder you issue. Additionally, the given order is displayed aboveeach waypoint (see below).
There are several basic types of orders with their own specialfeatures discussed below.
Movement OrdersMovement orders are used to tell your units to move from one
place to another during the Action Phase. They can do it as fastas possible, while paying little attention to incoming fire, or ascarefully as possible, taking maximum cover in the availableterrain. There are also some differences between the way
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movement works for infantry, guns, and vehicles, all of whichare discussed below.
Units can also become immobilized and unable to receivemovement orders. This is true not only for vehicles which havebeen hit or simply bogged down hopelessly, but also for heavyweapons teams which have suffered enough casualties that theremaining men cannot carry all their heavy equipment.
Movement - InfantryAvailable movement orders for infantry units are:
Sneak, Crawl, Move, Run, Rotate, Withdraw, and PauseA detailed description can be found in Appendix B.
Movement - VehiclesAvailable movement orders for vehicles are:
Move, Fast, Reverse, Hunt, Rotate, and PauseA detailed description can be found in Appendix B.
Impassible TerrainSome units, especially many vehicles, can not enter certain types
of terrain. Contrary to popular belief, tanks are not able tosmash through thick forests in combat situations. As tough astanks are, a single branch in the tracks can immobilize thevehicle and trees over a certain diameter (depending on theweight of the vehicle) can not be pushed over. Crossing forestsmight be possible given ample time and caution, but certainlynot work within the timeframe and pressure of an averagebattle in CM, and therefore has been excluded for the sake ofrealism.
Vehicles Cannot EnterMarsh, woods, tall pines, rough, water, fords, slopes, cliffs, ice
German Vehicles Also Cannot EnterBocage
Note: starting in July 1944, all fully-tracked Allied ve-hicles are assumed to have the so-called "Rhino" attach-ments - steel prongs welded to the front lower hull of atank to enable it to smash through the dense bocagehedges of the Normandy. Germans did not use thisequipment and therefore are not allowed to crossbocage.
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Wheeled vehicles additionally cannot enterStone walls, bocage
Infantry cannot enterCliffs, water
If you try to issue a movement order to an impassable terrainfeature, the movement order line turns red and disappearsafter left-clicking to indicate that movement to this objectiveis not possible. However, for the sake of convenience, it ispossible to plot movement across impassable terrain. In such acase, when the unit approaches the obstacle, the AI will re-plotits movement path to allow the unit to move around the ob-stacle automatically.
Keep in mind that in such situations, the AI might not plot themovement quite as you had imagined it. Instead, you shoulduse waypoints to lead the unit around an obstacle with preci-sion.
WaypointsIt is possible to issue more than one movement order during an
Orders Phase. In fact, there is (almost) no limit to how manyorders you can issue. You could, for example, tell an infantrysquad to run across a field to a patch of trees, then crawlthrough the trees, then walk down a road to a house. This isaccomplished through the use of waypoints. After you issue thefirst movement order to a unit, you can then issue a secondorder. The second order automatically "starts" where theprevious order ended (the only exception is the PAUSE order,which is ALWAYS used at the very beginning of a turn). The end-point of the last order becomes the starting point for the neworder.
If you know that you want to issue more than one movementorder to a unit, you can right-click instead of left-clicking aftereach order. This keeps the order menu open and the selectedunit active, and speeds up the whole process. Right-click toplace waypoints, and then left-click to place the destination.
Designer�s Note: Although it is possible to plot out agreat number of waypoints for a unit, it might be not a
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good idea to do so. There is a famous saying that "Noplan survives contact with the enemy", and it is just astrue for Combat Mission. Issuing too many orders toyour troops is dangerous, because they WILL try tofulfill them - this can lead to a situation in which yourtroops simply bypass an enemy because they wereordered to move forward. There is a fine balancebetween doing too little and doing too much in CombatMission, and finding the right balance is one of the keypoints to mastering the game. What is so intriguingabout this is that there is a similar balance in real-world combat operations - one of the very first thingscompany commanders learn is to keep their orderssimple, realistic and flexible.
Editing WaypointsCombat Mission lets you change and edit orders issued on previous
turns without having to redo them from scratch. Simply selecta waypoint by left-clicking on it then move it around by holdingthe right mouse button. The waypoint follows the mouse, andwhen the mouse button is released, remains positioned at thelast location pointed to.
If the waypoint was set in a previous turn (colored red) there isa limit to how far away you can move it. The distance you canmove it depends mainly on the unit�s experience level andwhether it is in command or not. Veteran units can have theirwaypoints edited to a much larger degree than green ones.Conscripts have to stick pretty much to the previously givenorders with only little room to maneuver. Waypoints placed inthe same Orders Phase as you are trying to edit them (coloredwhite) can be moved without restriction.
You can also change the movement speed for a waypoint byclicking on the waypoint and using a hotkey for the order youwant to change it to, or by pressing SPACE to bring up anabbreviated Orders menu of alternatives. Like this, you couldchange a MOVE order to a RUN order without having to redoeverything from scratch.
Of course, the option to delete orders is always available toyou in addition to moving them. However, the big advantage ofchanging orders and waypoints (as described above) is that theunit does not suffer from a command delay as it would frombeing issued new orders.
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PausingThe "pause" order tells a unit to remain in place at the start of a
turn for longer than the usual command delay, before execut-ing subsequent movement orders. This can be used to coordi-nate movements between units (e.g. have two tanks crest a hillat roughly the same time or have one column of vehicles startmoving when another one is expected to have reached itstarget).
Pauses are allowed only at the beginning of a turn, you cannotorder additional pauses in between waypoints or at a later timein a turn, for example. This, again, would allow for too muchmicromanagement, more than any company or even platooncommander would ever have.
Designer�s Note: The PAUSE command can be used forcarefully cresting a hill or "peeking" around a housecorner with tanks. Order the tank to pause for 30-45seconds (depending on how far away you are from theedge), and issue a movement order. The tank will startmoving at the end of the turn only and should be justaround the corner at the end of the current turn. Atthe beginning of the next, you can order the tank toreverse back. This should give you enough time to spotfor the enemy, while keeping the tank in good controland able to move out of (unexpected?) harm�s way.
SpeedNot all infantry units are allowed to run or sneak. Whether a unit
is capable of running or sneaking depends largely on how muchheavy equipment it is carrying, but also on the fatigue level ofthat unit. Exhausted units are not allowed to run or sneak,even if they could do so while rested.
When you look at the detailed unit info screen (by selecting aunit and hitting ENTER), you can see an entry for "speed class".Only units with "speed class: fast" are allowed to run andsneak. Additionally, very slow units are not allowed to crawl.
Designer�s Note: Try doing a 100-yard dash while carryingan MG42 with tripod and a couple hundred rounds ofammo!
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Embarking/DisembarkingCertain vehicles, like trucks, halftracks and even tanks, are
capable of transporting units by towing them (guns), carryingthem within the vehicle, or sometimes even allowing them toride on top. Not all vehicles can transport all types of infantry.While a two-man artillery spotter team might fit into a jeep, itwould be really hard to fit a 12-man squad into it! Whichvehicles can transport which units is discussed in more detail inthe Unit section.
In order to embark a unit into or onto a vehicle, you issue amovement order with the vehicle to be entered as its destina-tion. When your cursor with an active movement order touchesa vehicle eligible to transport the moving unit, the line colorwill turn white and the word EMBARK will be displayed.
When trying to embark units, keep in mind that it�s difficult todo so while the vehicle is moving. Issue a PAUSE command forthe vehicle in question or - even better - do not order it tomove for the current turn. However, if the vehicle to be em-barked is far away, you can, of course, order it to move closer.The infantry unit will wait until the vehicle comes closer beforeit starts moving.
Use the same procedure to disembark from a vehicle. Simplyselect the unit you want to move off the vehicle, and give it amovement order somewhere on the map. However, just as withembarking, keep in mind that it�s difficult (and dangerous) tojump off a vehicle while it�s moving. Keep in mind the com-mand delay of the infantry unit and make sure that the pauseorder is longer than that.
Sometimes when the vehicle slows down to take a sharp turn, itmight become so slow that the infantry will jump off without apause order. Additionally, embarked units might decide todebark even if not ordered to, and even while the vehicle ismoving - mainly when they are shot at. It depends on howheavy the incoming fire is and if the unit is protected whileembarked, e.g. units in halftracks will usually stay there evenif fired on, but units riding on the exposed back of a tank willjump off and search for cover quickly.
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Firing orders
Units on the battlefield constantly look for their own targets, andengage them based on many variables including exposure of theenemy, distance, cover, probability to hit, ability to causedamage, facing, available ammo, etc.
Most of the time the player does not need to worry abouttargeting - in fact, it is a good idea NOT to issue firing orders toyour units most of the time. The reason is that units withoutplayer-issued firing orders usually react very quickly to newthreats, whereas units with firing orders try to stick to them foras long as possible and override them only when another threatbecomes disproportionately serious.
However, there are occasions when you want to make sure thata unit targets a particular enemy. There are several firingorders you can issue, but only one can be issued per unit perturn. Your units try to execute your orders and regard them ashigh priority, but they can and will retarget if they think it iswise to do so.
Available Firing OrdersEach unit that is allowed to target (isn�t panicked, gun is working,
etc.) has one of three targeting orders available to it. A moredetailed description of the use of each can be found in Appen-dix B.
TargetGeneral purpose "shoot at this unit" order. If you click on apiece of terrain, the order automatically changes into an "AreaFire" order. The difference between target and area fire is thatone targets a specific unit while the other targets any unit inthat general area.
Target WideArtillery spotters can instruct the firing battery to spread out
its shells rather than aim at a pinpoint target. This is a goodway to suppress large, dispersed formations of enemy troops.
Next TargetThis is a great way to scan quickly through all available targets
for the selected unit, and also allows a quick check of whichenemy units are actually visible.
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Targeting FeedbackWhen you move the cursor over an enemy unit after selecting a
target order, some additional data is displayed about thetarget. Which data is displayed depends on the firing unit aswell as target.
Unit Type: the unit type is displayed on top, to the degree ithas been identified at least. A "?" after the unit type meansthat it has not been fully identified yet
Distance: the distance between the firing unit and the target isshown in meters
Exposure (Infantry/non-Armored Vehicles): a percentagevalue, stating how much of the target is vulnerable based onan abstract maximum (100%)
Firepower (Infantry/non-Armored Vehicles): the amount offirepower that the firing unit (i.e. the one you�re givingorders to) can bring to bear on the unit pointed to by thecursor.
Hit Chance (Armored Vehicles): a rough chance to hit thetarget - rough, because it changes constantly during thecourse of an Action Phase
Kill Chance (Armored Vehicles): an approximate chance thefiring unit has to destroy the target. This can be None, Rare,Medium, Good, or Excellent depending on a lot of factorswhich change constantly during an Action Phase. Even withan extremely small kill chance (e.g. "None"), it is possible todamage a tank (hit the tracks, gun, or cause internal armor"flaking", killing crew members) or even destroy it by a luckyhit on a weak spot. Weak spots can be hatches, MG mounts,vision blocks, or even poorly-manufactured armor plate.
Out of range: when the target is out of effective range of thefiring weapon (too far or too close), this is displayed inyellow text. (Note: you can find the minimum or maximumrange of a weapon in the Detailed Unit Info screen)
Out of sight: if the enemy unit is not within sight of the se-lected unit checking its line of sight, the "out of LOS" mes-sage is displayed. Additionally, no hit or kill chances areshown.
Hull down (Vehicles): both the firing unit as well as the targetcan be hull down (i.e. only the turret/superstructure arevisible and therefore exposed to fire). If the target is hulldown, this is displayed above the target unit. If the shooteris hull down, this is displayed above the firing unit.
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In some instances, no additional information besides the unittype and distance is displayed. This usually indicates that thefiring unit is not capable of damaging the target (e.g. firingpistols at a tank).
Direct Fire and Area FireThe target of a fire order does not always need to be an enemy
unit. You can order your troops to fire at anything such ashouses, woods, even open fields. The term used for this type offire is "Area fire". Area fire can cause casualties to units withinthe target area, but is less effective than aimed direct fire.However, area fire is the only way to go if the enemy unit hasnot been spotted (and therefore cannot be directly fired at)and is also useful for suppressing the enemy.
Area fire usually lasts until the order is cancelled by the player.However, area fire automatically stops if a friendly unit entersthe target zone OR - on rare occasions - when the firing unithas decided to engage another target on its own. Direct firelasts for only as long as the target is within line-of-sight (LOS)and is automatically cancelled a few seconds after it goes outof sight or is destroyed.
Hint: Units which go prone often disappear out of sight ofthe firing unit (e.g. behind a stone wall), so "area fire"is usually the better choice when the aim is to suppressan enemy generally, because it is kept up even after thetarget is not visible. In such instances, it is better toselect an area close to the enemy you intend to sup-press, not the enemy unit itself.
On some occasions, you might see generic unit markers (a starfor US units for example) which seem to be within LOS of yourunits. However, the fact that a generic marker rather than theactual unit is displayed indicates that the unit in fact is com-pletely out of sigh (e.g. prone in a foxhole, behind a hedge, orhas retreated away), even though the area is within LOS. Insuch cases you are only allowed to target the area, not theparticular unit.
Note: the blast from high explosive rounds can hurt unitsout of LOS of the shooter.
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It is also possible for the player to issue a Direct fire targetorder even if the enemy unit is out of LOS during the OrdersPhase, but might come into LOS during the following ActionPhase. The firing unit tracks the designated target for a fewseconds and engages it should it come within LOS. If it doesn�t,then the firing unit cancels its order and looks for other tar-gets. However, it retains a tendency to retarget the originalenemy should it appear later on. This way you could, forexample, stop behind a house, issue a movement order forwardand at the same time target an enemy tank which might comeinto view during the Action Phase. This usually ensures thatyour tank will engage this enemy (unless a much more signifi-cant threat suddenly appears).
Some units, like artillery spotters and (in certain cases) mor-tars, can be issued indirect fire orders against units or areasout of LOS. In such cases the units start firing immediately,without waiting to obtain a line of sight.
Hint: If, in the middle of issuing a targeting order youchange your mind, you can press the SPACE bar and thenew order will be canceled, preserving the previoustargeting order.
Firing ArcsVehicles without a turret (e.g. assault guns which have the main
gun fixed to the main hull) can only engage targets within alimited arc in front of the unit without having to rotate thewhole vehicle or gun. This is called a "firing arc". How wide it is(in degrees) depends on the particular vehicle model. Shouldyou issue a target order to such units and point outside of itsfiring arc, the target line becomes maroon to indicate that thefiring unit has to rotate first in order to aim and fire. Not onlydoes this cost time and usually mean worse accuracy for thefirst shot, it is also especially bad news if the firing unit isimmobilized!
Special EquipmentPanzerfausts, demolition charges, rifle grenades and Gammon
bombs are infantry squad weapons that are handled specially.The player does not give direct orders for the use of theseweapons; that is determined instead by the TacAI.
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PanzerfaustA short-range, one-shot antitank rocket launcher commonlypossessed by late-war German infantry squads to possess. Theycome in three different sizes and ranges (30m, 60m, and 100m)depending on the scenario date.
If an enemy armored vehicle comes within range, your squadtries to fire its Panzerfaust. However, suppression can reducethe likelihood of this significantly. Sometimes your troops mighteven fire a Panzerfausts at enemy infantry if the enemy isheavily dug in and/or your unit is carrying several Panzerfaustsand feels it can spare one for antipersonnel use.
Demolition ChargesUsually carried only by engineers, these bags of explosives areautomatically used to clear minefields, destroy enemy units inclose combat, or knock out fixed fortifications. This weaponpacks a lot of punch!
Rifle GrenadesU.S. squads might be armed with special grenades which can befired using a modified rifle. They provide a decent anti-tankcapability at greater ranges than hand grenades or demolitioncharges.
Gammon BombsEssentially lumps of TNT wrapped in small pouches, thisweapon is treated exactly like demolition charges except thatthey are carried by Allied airborne troops.
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Terrain
There are many different terrain types in the game. Each one hasan impact on lines of sight, cover, concealment, and move-ment. What you need to understand to play the game is thatwhat you see in the game is merely a visual representation ofthe underlying mathematical 3D battlefield and some abstrac-tions are necessary to keep the game (dis)playable.
Trees are one of such abstraction. Although you see individualtrees on the map, their actual placement plays no role for thegame as such. What counts is the "woods" terrain, as seen bythe different kind of ground beneath and around trees.
"Open ground", although seemingly "empty", is not. Bushes,small dips, high grass and other features are all taken intoaccount, and so the LOS cannot be traced endlessly even acrossopen ground. More importantly, weapons accuracy decreasesdynamically with range, not only because it is harder to hitsomething farther away, but also because it is harder to see thetarget at all.
The LOS tool is very useful an aid to understand the terrain onthe map better, as it shows what kind of terrain is used for thein-game calculations. You can pinpoint the exact end of woods,the exact corner of a building, the exact point where a wall orhedge starts, etc. Most of the time such things are clear fromlooking at the map (and your judgement will become betterwith playing experience), but when in doubt, the LOS toolprovides the answer.
Terrain also changes with the different seasons. For example,depending on the scenario�s time and date trees can be denseand thick (summer) or leafless (winter). Grain fields alsochange dramatically with the seasons and weather. This has adirect impact on the concealment and cover provided by suchterrain.
BuildingsThere are various types of buildings in the game: two types of
small farm houses (light and heavy), a tall light building (2-levels), a big blockhouse (2-levels, heavy), and a church (basi-cally a special type of the big blockhouse, i.e. heavy building).They, too, have an impact on concealment and cover, with
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heavy buildings being more protective than light ones. Lightbuildings also tend to be reduced to rubble much more quicklythan heavy buildings, with a few high-explosive rounds of75mm caliber and higher being enough to achieve this. Build-ings can also become reduced to rubble when they catch fireand have been burning for some time. Any unit inside a 2-levelbuilding which collapses or catches fire will suffer seriouscasualties.
Lines of sight can be a bit tricky around buildings, althoughmost answers are easy once you think about it. In order to beable to look outside of a building without restrictions, a unitneeds to be within a few meters of the outside wall (i.e. topeer through windows or other openings). If it is further awaythan about 5 meters, it can still see a few meters outside ofthe house, but not far beyond that.
When a building or a unit in a building is fired at, regardless ifit is direct fire or indirect fire (from mortars for example),most of the fire hits the outer walls of the building. Unitshiding within can still be hurt by the blast from such things asflying stones, glass, shrapnel etc. However, some rounds canalso make it into the building and explode within, e.g. throughholes in the outer walls or roof, blasted doors or windows. Suchshots can cause severe damage. There is even a very smallchance that a round can make it into and THROUGH a building,exploding on the other side - bad news for any troops lurkingbehind it!
The interiors of buildings are abstracted and included intocombat resolution calculations. Although you can trace an LOSwithin a building without restrictions (though with limitedrange) the chance of enemy units hiding within the samebuilding and remaining unspotted is relatively high (imaginethem hiding in another room), but drops dramatically the moretime your units spend inside.
There are also two different height levels for buildings. Levelone, the ground level, simulates houses that are one to twostories high. Level two simulates houses three to four storieshigh. These are the only available levels for Combat Mission.You cannot place units in church towers.
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One thing to keep in mind with buildings is that they are aconfined space and can contain only so many soldiers at a time.The general rule of thumb is one squad per corner of a build-ing. But if you try to put a whole platoon into a small farm-house, don�t be surprised to find that one squad has to leaveand wait outside.
Watch out when you want to fire weapons with backblast (likebazookas and Panzerfausts) from buildings - this often suppressthe firing unit. Vehicles and guns are not allowed to enterbuildings. Mortars can enter a building, but cannot fire from it.
Building DamageBuildings and bridges display "damage" or "heavy damage" lableswhen they have taken over 50% damage and the "WarningLabels" option is on. Additionally, they're listed with a '*'attached, like "light building*", or a '**' for heavy damage.
RubbleThese are the leftovers after a building has collapsed. Vehicles
may not enter rubble. It provides excellent cover and conceal-ment for infantry, though. LOS is heavily restricted acrossrubble, but only to a certain height (which is naturally muchlower than the building previously was).
Bocage"Bocage" is the French name for their (in)famous Normandy
hedgerows, incredibly thick bushes with intermingled leavesand trees growing on an earthen mound several feet high. Thebocage is hundreds of years old and a natural barrier not knownin other parts of the world. Bocage hedgerows can be easilythree to five meters high and more, and provide a seriousobstacle for infantry and vehicles alike. They also completelyblock LOS unless a unit is within a few meters of the hedgerow.
Infantry is allowed to enter and cross the bocage hedgerows,but does so very slowly (it takes about one minute on average).No vehicles are allowed to enter or cross hedgerows, the onlyexception being Allied fully-tracked vehicles from July 1944 on.This simulates the use of "hedgehogs" or "Rhinos" - steel teethmounted to the front of a tank which aid in cutting through thebrush. German tanks are NOT allowed to enter or cross"bocage" hedgerows.
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Scattered TreesThese are single trees with little or no brush, standing in loose
groups together or along a road. Orchards fall into this terraintype as well. They provide only light cover and concealment,but are certainly better than open ground. Do not expectmiracles, especially in winter when even a single squad hastrouble hiding in scattered trees.
Designer�s Note: Scattered trees can also be used to simulatenarrow paths in forests, allowing tanks and other vehicles topass at a slow rate and considerable risk of bogging down.
WoodsThis is the "usual" woods terrain, which includes mixed types of
trees, some underbrush and bushes. Woods provide good coverand concealment. No vehicles are allowed to enter woods inCombat Mission.
Tall PinesTall pines represent dense woods terrain with thick underbrush
and bushes, and provide cover and concealment similar to"Woods", except that the pines are taller and so are more likelyto block elevated lines of sight from tall buildings or hilltops.
HedgesThis is the common type of hedge and is about one meter high,
planted or naturally grown, and is passable for all types ofvehicles and infantry (with some impact on speed, however). Itprovides decent concealment, but little cover.
Stone WallA man made stone wall, about 1 meter high, and thick enough to
block even a direct hit from a tank main round. Walls arepassable for tracked vehicles and infantry, albeit at a lowerspeed. Vehicles behind stone walls can achieve hull downstatus, unless the enemy is on a higher elevation. Stone wallsprovide good cover and concealment, especially for prone unitsbehind it, but not when the attacker is at a higher elevation orattacking from the sides or rear.
BrushBrush can be used to simulate several things types of terrain such
as high grass, to bushes, and even wild fields. It provides goodconcealment and restricts LOS, but offers little cover.
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Grain FieldsGrain fields are just that. Note, however, that the concealment
and cover they provide vary with the seasons. Basically openground in winter with not much to hide behind, they canprovide decent concealment in summer and less so in fall orspring. Cover, however, is almost nonexistent. Grain fields alsoincrease the chance of vehicles bogging down in them, evenwith otherwise dry ground conditions.
MarshMarsh is swampy open ground, with provide little more cover than
some bushes and grass. It is difficult to walk on even for infan-try, and cannot be entered or crossed by vehicles of any type.
RoughRough represents especially broken or rocky terrain, impossible
for vehicles to cross and accessible only by infantry. It providesdecent cover and concealment.
RoadsRoads come as two types: dirt and paved. Dirt roads are the main
type of road encountered in northwest Europe outside of thebig cities and towns. There is no cover or concealment on aroad, but movement is fast.
Paved roads have gravel or hard concrete surfaces and arerelatively easy to drive on even during muddy ground condi-tions or snow. However, besides some main highways and citystreets, paved roads are not encountered very often.
BridgesThere are three types of bridges - wooden bridges, often encoun-
tered across small streams or creeks and are two elevationshigh; stone bridges, spanning small rivers at two elevationshigh; and tall stone bridges, across major rivers or valleys, fourelevation levels in height and allowing vehicles and troops topass under them.
Railroad TracksThese offer little concealment and almost no cover, and troops do
not gain much speed advantage on them (in fact, wheeledvehicles are slowed down).
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WaterWater tiles are used to simulate rivers or lakes, and cannot be
entered by any units except infantry embarked in assault boats.When there is snow on the ground, water becomes frozen -vehicles and guns are still not allowed to enter, but infantry isable to cross ice.
FordsSometimes water is either shallow or rocky enough to safely cross
on foot. Fords, therefore, provide alternative, limited access tobridges over water.
SlopesThese are inclines steep enough to prohibit vehicular travel.
Infantry can still climb them, albeit slowly.
CliffsNo unit is allowed to traverse a cliff.
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Hiding and Ambushes
Often enough, you do NOT want to fire at a visible enemy unit,but instead hold your fire and hide until it comes closer withinyour lethal zone. There are several orders available whichallow players to do this. Skillful use of these orders helpsensure your success on the battlefield.
The following orders are available:Hide - Causes the unit to remain hidden/quietUnhide - Reverts a Hidden unit back to normal modeAmbush - Designates a "trigger" area to target
A detailed description can be found in Appendix B.
Hiding, if done right, keeps your units unspotted until theenemy virtually steps on them. "If done right" are the key wordshere. Trying to hide in the middle of open ground, on top of abare hill, or behind a stone wall when the enemy is comingacross a high hill are not a good ideas. Hiding in buildings,woods, or rubble (to name a few examples) works much betterand usually allows you to remain unspotted until you choose toengage the enemy. Needless to say that hiding has little effectif your troops get nervous and open fire too early.
How well your units hide themselves depends to a large extenton their quality and training. Staying hidden while the enemy isadvancing slowly towards you takes a lot of courage and disci-pline. Green troops or conscripts are likely to get nervous andfire too early, thereby giving away their positions and reducingpotential enemy casualties. The STEALTH leadership abilityhelps to keep troops from being jumpy, especially if the unitsunder command are green or conscript.
Depending on the situation, troops ordered to HIDE try towithhold fire if their chance of causing harm to the enemy isslim and the danger of being overrun is small. When the situa-tion is optimal, or desperate (as just noted), units automati-cally open fire at any enemy coming within their lethal zone,usually 100m or less.
If you issue a TARGET order to hiding troops, they automaticallyunhide, ready to open fire immediately at the beginning of thenext Action Phase. You can, however, order them to hide again.This keeps the TARGET order active, but your troops try and
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remain hidden until the chosen target comes well within theirlethal zone. Of course they might still get nervous and openfire too early, or engage another target if it becomes a seriousthreat.
Only HQ units, teams (machineguns, mortars, and anti-tankteams), guns, and tanks can be (directly) ordered to AMBUSH.When the order is selected you place an ambush marker (whichlooks like a yellow target bullseye) on the map within LOS anda certain range of the unit. The ambush marker represents the"trigger point" of the ambush. Other units, including squads,can then target the ambush marker, which allows them toparticipate in the ambush. Squads, however, can only target anambush marker when in command of the HQ which designatedit, simulating the need for an overall plan involving so manymen is to succeed.
Any enemy unit which moves into the location of an ambushmarker causes the ambushing units to unhide and open fire,unless the chances of harming the target are too low or open-ing fire would be suicidal (a rifle squad without any infantryanti-tank weapons usually won�t open fire against a tank atanything but point-blank range).
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Special Orders
There are several special orders in CM, which do not fall into anyof the previous categories. Some are available for all units,others only for specific types.
Line of Sight (LOS)This order is unlike any other because it doesn�t actually instruct
the selected unit to do anything. Instead, it�s a "LOS tool"which can be used to check exactly what the unit can see andwhat it can�t. After selecting the order, a line extends from theunit towards the mouse cursor as with other movement ortargeting orders. But this line does not tell the unit to goanywhere or rotate. Instead it gives information about its fieldof view.
The line of sight (LOS) line is color coded. There are basicallythree colors (blue, red and black), which indicate:
BlueThe area or unit at which the cursor is pointing is within line ofsight and therefore can be seen (and probably fired on ifnecessary) by the selected unit. Depending on the "quality" ofthe line of sight can be light blue (excellent visibility), darkblue (bad visibility), or any shade in between. As you moveyour line of sight from an open field to woods, you can see thatthe line�s color gets darker and darker, showing that more andmore foliage and trees obstruct the unit�s vision.
Red/BlackThe area or unit at which the cursor is pointing is not withinline of sight and therefore cannot be seen (and only fired atusing indirect-fire weapons like artillery). The line has twocolors in such a case - red towards the first obstacle on thepath blocking the line of sight, and black from there on. This isuseful because it hints at what exactly is in the way betweenyour unit and the area/unit to be seen. In woods, for example,you are able to judge how far forward you have to move inorder to peek outside of the forest while remaining in maxi-mum cover and concealment. However, the point between thered and black color shows only the FIRST possible obstaclewithin the line of sight. There can be additional ones behind it,but you are not able to see them yet.
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Keep in mind that because Combat Mission employs a three-dimensional battlefield, lines of sight can be found in all threedimensions. A unit on a hill may be able to see behind a stonewall or even a house, if it is sufficiently higher than the ob-stacle. Also don�t be surprised if you are able to see the secondstory of a house, but not the first one, if, for example, a patchof trees is blocking the lower levels.
When you move the LOS line above an enemy unit, someadditional information is displayed (see "FIRING ORDERS"section).
Note: A detailed description of the Line of Sight order canalso be found in Appendix B.
Button Up/UnbuttonMany armored vehicles are built to provide all-around protection
for their crews. Once they close their hatches or steel doors,they are more or less protected at least from small arms fire."Button up" orders hatches closed, while "Unbutton" has thereverse effect.
Even open-top vehicles can "button up" in a sense, by havingthe crew duck down to take cover within the armored hull.Even if buttoned up, such open-top vehicles of course can stillbe hurt from above by grenades or small arms fire at higherelevations.
In any case, buttoned up vehicles may not use any weaponswhich are mounted on the outside (e.g. antiaircraft machine-guns on tanks and halftracks), with the exception of remotely-operated machineguns (mounted on some late-war Germanassault guns), since these can be triggered from the inside ofthe crew compartment, and the MG42 mounted on the front ofthe German Schützenpanzerwagen (SPW), because it has a full-size armored shield to protect the shooter (from the front atleast).
Usually, you don�t need to order your vehicles to button up asthey will do so automatically when they receive enemy fire orshrapnel from nearby exploding artillery rounds. However,sometimes this might be too late, and if you know that yourvehicle is going to enter some lines of fire, it might be a gooddecision to order it to button up before the bullets start ping-ing against the armor. Unfortunately, buttoned vehicles are
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virtually "blind", as visibility is reduced to small vision slits orperiscopes, and buttoning up too early might end up leadingyour vehicle into a nasty ambush. Note that vehicles NEVERunbutton themselves - you must order them to do so.
While unbuttoned, your crew runs the risk of being killed orinjured by all the hot lead flying around on a battlefield. Tankcommanders during World War Two suffered significant casualtyrates for this reason. Once a crew member is injured or killed,the rest of the crew usually will be SHOCKED for some time andnot able to execute any orders for as long as it remainsshocked. Moreover, the remaining crew will have to rearrangepositions within the vehicle and/or show a natural reluctanceto expose themselves to enemy fire for the remainder of thescenario. Such vehicles will remain buttoned for the remainderof the battle.
A detailed description of the Button up/Unbutton order canalso be found in Appendix B.
Split SquadWhile squads usually are the smallest maneuverable unit on CM�s
battlefield, under certain circumstances the player might wantto split one or more of his squads, e.g. in order to set upoutposts in front of his main positions. The SPLIT SQUAD orderallows this, but not without certain drawbacks.
One drawback is that half-squads have less combat power thanit does as when they are one coherent and well coordinatedsquad. By splitting squads, the player sacrifices a good portionof a squad�s concentrated firepower in exchange for highermaneuverability of the two units.
The other drawback, maybe even more serious, is that half-squads tend to panic more quickly than full squads. For thesereasons, half-squads are usually good only in an observer role(as outposts or scouts), and should be withdrawn as soon ascontact with the enemy has been made.
Only half-squads originating from the same full squad can bere-joined. This happens automatically by moving them closetogether (10m or closer) at the end of a turn. Should one halfof the squad be eliminated, the other half still can not join
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with any other half-squad for the remainder of the game. It isnot possible to split teams or any other units.
A detailed description of the Split Squad order can also befound in Appendix B.
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Tactical ArtificialIntelligence (TacAI)
When issuing orders, you have to keep in mind that your units arenot robots. Being trained soldiers, they try their best to dowhat you tell them, but there are limitations. On certainoccasions a unit might change your order a little or completelydisregard it. The "Tactical Artificial Intelligence" (TacAI), whichis responsible for this behavior, simulates the individual on thebattlefield and takes into consideration what he thinks, seesand hears. It is, however, never pro-active and acts only in self-preservation and self-defense!
Imagine a situation in which you order one of your units to fireat an enemy hidden in woods several hundred yards away, andall of a sudden another platoon appears on your flank, frombehind a dip or a house merely 40 meters away. If your mendutifully carry out your orders for the full 60-second ActionPhase, the enemy will probably overrun your position beforeyou - the player - get a chance to change your orders accord-ingly. Instead, the TacAI usually intercede to simulate yoursoldiers taking it upon their own initiative to switch fire towardthe suddenly far more threatening enemy unit. Imagine anothersituation where your lead tank runs into a mine! Would youwant to see your other units, which were plotted to follow thelead vehicle, simply rumble forward into the same minefield? Ifyour answer is no then you�ll be happy, because the TacAI willchange their orders and have them try to drive around theobstacle.
Not only does the employment of the TacAI result in a morerewarding and realistic gaming experience, it also serves tosimulate the behavior of human beings on a lethal World WarTwo battlefield. The uncertainties of human behavior (stress,morale, panic, will to survive) are taken into account andsimulated in the game.
The TacAI uses "fuzzy logic" principles when determining thelikely reactions of your units. This leads to a rich and varied setof possible unit behavior in different situations, and makes theunits appear human in their actions. Some might run awaywhen facing a new enemy close by, some might stand and fight
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or even charge. Although you might not always like the results,keep in mind that real world commanders often feel the sameway! In other words, the TacAI is not programmed to be �per-fect� since there is no such thing as perfection in war.
Only after the 60-second Action Phase has elapsed can youissue new orders to your units and redirect their actions,simulating tactical input from a squad or platoon commanderto the individual soldiers.
Designer�s Note: The TacAI leads the actions of units forboth the human and computer player, simulating theminds of the soldiers in every individual unit. But thereare two additional levels of Artificial Intelligence in thegame, which guide only the actions of the computerplayer. We (very loosely!) call them the Strategic AI(StratAI) and Operational AI (OpAI). The StratAI isresponsible for determining the general course ofaction for the Computer Player. It scans the map for keyterrain, routes of attack, points of defense, and de-cides what needs to be done in order to win the game.The Operational AI is responsible for executing theStratAI�s "orders" by plotting waypoints, assigningindividual targets, etc. All AI levels use fuzzy logicroutines, making the AI somewhat unpredictable and"smart" enough to tackle any map or scenario withoutspecial battle-specific coding.
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Ammunition
Small Arms Ammo Small arms and MGs use abstracted "ammo points". When a squad
or team fires it expends one ammo point. Infantry units neverrun completely out of ammunition. Instead, when the lastammo point has been used, ammo is considered to be "low" andthe unit tries to conserve its last ammo. Such units rarely firemore than once a turn and even then primarily in self-defense.
Machineguns on vehicles are treated like other Small Arms.Ammo counts for MGs are displayed in the unit�s Detailed UnitInformation window. Vehicle-mounted flamethrowers some-times consume more than one "ammo point" per shot when thetarget is near the maximum flamethrower range.
Ammo Types for Guns/MortarsAmmunition is tracked individually for heavy guns (tanks, ord-
nance, infantry anti-tank weapons, and mortars) only. The fivetypes of ammo are:
"h" - High Explosive (HE)Rounds of this type carry a significant explosive charge and areintended to generate on impact as many shell fragments(shrapnel) as possible, thereby increasing the lethal radiusagainst soft targets (infantry, lightly armored or open-topvehicles) but sacrificing penetrating power against moreheavily-armored targets.
"a" - Armor Piercing (AP)This type of shell (or shot) uses kinetic energy to punch througharmor plate and has little or no explosive charge. This makes itideal for use against armored vehicles but generally ineffectiveagainst soft targets.
"c" - Hollow ChargeAlso referred to as HEAT ammunition, this projectile uses a"hollow" (or "shaped") explosive to focus a thin jet of hot gasagainst armor plate, literally melting a hole through it insteadof smashing through with brute force (like AP ammunitiondoes). Because it does not rely on kinetic energy, a HEATround�s penetrative capability does not decrease over longrange.
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"t" - Tungsten CoreKnown by the Americans as HVAP (Hyper Velocity Armor Pierc-ing), by the Germans as PzGr40 (Panzergranate 40), and by theBritish as APCR (Armor Piercing Composite Rigid), APDS (ArmorPiercing Discarding Sabot), and even SVDS (Super VelocityDiscarding Sabot). This type of projectile is lighter than astandard AP round and can be fired at a higher muzzle velocity.It has a high-density shatter-resistant metal core (usually madeof tungsten) with greatly improved penetrative power againstarmor. The drawback to tungsten ammo is that its smaller(effective) caliber and lighter shell mass mean that kineticenergy is lost more rapidly over long distances, and the shellhas a tendency to ricochet off steeply sloped armor. But theincrease in velocity and shell strength almost always make upfor these drawbacks. APDS/SVDS are generally the most effec-tive types, because the lightweight metal jacket which sur-rounds the tungsten core is discarded as the shell leaves themuzzle, leaving only the thinner, more aerodynamic core to flyon to the target, meeting less air resistance and preservingmore kinetic energy. Tungsten is a relatively expensive materialmeaning these shells are generally rare. By 1944 Germanysuffered from a severe shortage of tungsten and other metals,and so had virtually no PzGr40 available.
"s" - SmokeThese projectiles are designed to generate a thick smokescreen as cover for other friendly forces. Smoke ammo causesno damage if fired against enemy infantry or armor, but gener-ally blocks LOS through it for a short time.
Designer�s Note: understand the above five ammo typesas basic categories, used to describe the countless typesand models of projectiles used during the war. Inter-nally, Combat Mission tracks the weight, velocity, andsize of explosive charge of all the different shell typesfrom all the different guns in the game individually.The HE shell fired by a Panzer Mark IV tank�s 75mm gun(weight 12.79 pounds, velocity 548 m/sec, explosive is11% of total mass) is NOT the same as that used by the75mm gun on a Sherman (weight 14.7 pounds, velocity463 m/sec, explosive is 10% of total mass).
We have excluded White Phosphorus as a distinct ammo type(and therefore the capability to use the incendiary effect ofthe phosphorus offensively) for various reasons, but largely
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because our research indicates that its offensive use wasusually limited to very specific purposes (like marking targets)or situations that weren�t necessarily appropriate to the gen-eral-purpose combat simulated by Combat Mission. Moreimportantly, introducing WP would allow for an ahistoricaloveruse of this type of ammunition by American forces andcould unrealistically unbalance the game.
Selecting Ammo TypeYour units decide, based on your orders and the type of target
they are about to fire at, which ammo type to use. You cannotorder a tank specifically to fire tungsten ammo, for example.The tank commander (read: TacAI) is responsible for the choiceof ammo and usually tries to first fire some regular rounds to"bracket" it. The tank commander uses special ammo once ahit is likely to be achieved, but only when the standard typeproves ineffective.
Long Distance TargetingIn the case of infantry squads, all weapons of a squad which are
effective at the particular range to the target are fired auto-matically. That means that usually past 400 meters, only thesquad�s light automatic weapon will fire. As the target comescloser first rifles, and then submachineguns, join in.
Ammo Loss Due to CasualtiesAmmo points are reduced whenever a moving team-served
weapon (not squad!) suffers casualties. This simulates the "lost"ammo carried by the now-incapacitated men. Take a bazookateam for example. It consists of two men; a gunner and anammo bearer. If one of them is hit, expect to see the ammoavailable for the unit cut significantly. The same is true formachinegun teams, although these usually have more than oneammo bearer which means the ammo loss is not as dramatic.
Extra and Reduced Ammo LevelsDuring prepared defense situations, units often are awarded (by
the scenario designer) extra ammo to "stockpile" within theirfortified positions. Even if a unit suffers no casualties, theextra ammo is lost once the team decides to leave its defensiveposition, because there�s no one to carry it!
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Units can also start out with less ammo than they normally cancarry. This would be done to simulate units that are under-supplied or have recently had intense combat and have not yethad the chance to acquire replacement ammo fully.
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Small arms fire
"Small arms" is a military term describing rifles, pistols, machine-guns, and other small-caliber bullet-firing weapons wielded bythe individual soldier. Although Combat Mission simulatessquads and teams rather than individual soldiers, it does treatall weapons of an infantry unit individually.
At 500+ meters usually only a squad�s light automatic weapon(the light MG42 for the Germans, the Browning Automatic Rifle(BAR) for the U.S., and the Bren LMG for the British) is able tofire effectively at the enemy. As the enemy unit comes closer,the other weapons in a squad may join in. This is reflected in aunit�s firepower rating. Look at the unit�s detailed info windowand you�ll see how the firepower changes between 1000m,500m, and 100m.
When a unit fires, the firepower rating is used to determine thechance of causing damage. Many factors are used in the calcu-lations, like exposure of the enemy unit, the terrain it is in, theactivity and suppression of both firer and target (running,crawling, hiding), the marksmanship (experience) of the firingunit - just to name a few.
Generally, the higher the outgoing firepower and the higher theexposure of the target, the more casualties can be expectedwith each "shot". A random factor is built in, however, as "ladyluck" always takes part in any combat situation.
SuppressionEven when no casualties are caused, incoming fire always has a
chance to suppress the target and other units nearby. Thehigher the effective firepower, the higher the chance of sup-pressing the enemy.
But suppression does not always mean that the enemy goesprone or runs away. Sometimes incoming fire will "only" changethe enemy unit�s status from OK to Alerted or Cautious, whichmight be enough to cause it to re-evaluate its orders or returnfire less effectively.
Small arms fire from a unit (simulating sometimes the firing ofa dozen rifles and machineguns at a time) is NOT directed atone pinpoint area only. Instead, each "shot" affects an area
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around the target unit or zone, in which it can cause casualtiesor suppression.
Infantry CasualtiesCasualties for infantry squads and teams are tracked on a man-by-
man basis instead of an arbitrary "unit strength" rating. When asquad is fired at, the game determines how many and which ofits members are hit. When a man (or men) of your unit hasbeen hit, you can see this immediately in the detailed infowindow, because the weapon carried by that particular soldieris removed from the list, and the firepower ratings adjustedaccordingly.
Example: a US rifle infantry squad (�44 Pattern) consists of 10Rifles (M1 Garand), 1 Submachinegun (Thompson) and 1 Brown-ing Automatic Rifle (BAR). If the squad is hit and suffers onecasualty, one of these weapons (and the soldier carrying it) isremoved. You might lose a rifle, the submachinegun or - ifyou�re unlucky - the BAR gunner.
However, important squad weapons - like machineguns (e.g.BARs, MG42s) as well as light anti-tank weapons - might bepicked up by another squad member even though the maninitially carrying the weapon is hit. In such a case, one of thesquad members drops his own weapon and acquires the moreimportant one.
Casualties do not necessarily represent dead soldiers. In fact,most of the soldiers regarded as casualties are not dead, just(more or less) seriously wounded. But the end result is thesame since the soldier is not capable of fighting any more andis removed from the squad as a casualty. Only at the end of thebattle is the actual distribution of wounded vs. killed deter-mined (randomly). A portion of the casualties sustained mightbe wounded just lightly and return for subsequent battles(during operations).
Casualties for infantry units have several effects during thecourse of a game. Besides an adverse effect on a unit�s morale,there is a loss of firepower as individual weapons are removed.Additionally, if a heavy infantry weapon (e.g. most mortars andheavy machineguns) loses most of its crew, not only is ammuni-tion lost if the unit attempts to move, but when only one manremains the weapon becomes entirely immobilized because a
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single man simply cannot effectively carry the weapon, ammo,and personal equipment by himself.
Hand-To-Hand CombatUp close and personal, this kind of combat usually does not last
very long, as one or the other side (and often both) are deci-mated quickly and either surrender or are completely annihi-lated. Close combat starts when two infantry units are within20 meters or so from each other. You can recognize hand-to-hand combat by the sounds of shouts and rifle butts knockingon helmets, as well as liberal use of grenades by both sides.The victor usually is the one that had some combination ofsuperior numbers, close-range firepower (e.g. SMGs), betterexperience, and suppressing fire from other friendly units.
Blast StrengthOften much deadlier than small arms are the high explosive
rounds from mortars, howitzers and tank guns. The firepowerof these weapons is represented by a BLAST VALUE, which is arough measure of both the size of the shell and the amount ofexplosive charge it carries.
The blast value helps give a general guide to the strength of anexplosion, which increases the closer you are to its center. Italso helps combine blast radius and blast strength into oneeasy-to-use number, which helps illustrate the differencebetween. For example, the U.S. 75mm and 76mm HE shells areroughly the same size, but have different blast radii. The76mm has a lesser amount of explosive (TNT), so its blastradius is smaller. If it�s an accurate shot then the shrapnel fromthe 76mm is (nearly) as deadly as that from the 75mm, becausethere�s about the same amount of it. But if it�s not an accurateshot the shrapnel must therefore travel farther to hit a target.Thus the smaller TNT charge of the 76mm causes less damagesince it has less ability to project shrapnel over distance com-pared to the 75mm round.
The blast value is measured in the same game units as small-arms firepower.
Infantry Against Armored TargetsNormally, small arms like rifles and machineguns are too weak to
cause serious damage to armored vehicles. The exception islightly-armored vehicles like halftracks and armored cars, or
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"soft" vehicles without any armor (e.g. jeeps, trucks, andassault boats). These can indeed be penetrated and evendestroyed by small arms fire. The penetration chances de-crease with distance, but the HMG42 can destroy US M3 basedhalftracks out to 200 or 300 meters, while the mighty .50caliber MG can penetrate light armor out to 1000 meters or sounder the right conditions.
But even if no penetration is achieved, small arms fire can stillbe effective against armored targets. It can cause crew casual-ties if the target vehicle is "unbuttoned", or force it to buttonup. Open top vehicles, like the M-10 tank destroyer or theHummel assault howitzer, are also vulnerable to small armsfire. Firing rifles from a higher elevation right into the top ofsuch a vehicle usually achieves good results in Combat Mission,as it would in real life.
The closer the armored target, the more options are availableto destroy it. Most German units have Panzerfausts available(see SPECIAL EQUIPMENT section), but all infantry squads andHQs have hand grenades, which can be used for a close assaultagainst a tank. Hand grenades work best against open-topvehicles, but can also be used effectively against buttoned uptanks. This simulates the occasional hero climbing on, or rightup to, an enemy tank and placing the grenade in a vulnerablespot. Demolition charges and gammon bombs are also veryuseful anti-tank weapons at very close ranges, as are riflegrenades (mostly used by the US), which can take out lightarmored vehicles at medium distances.
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Anti-Tank Fire
The phenomenon of armor penetration by projectiles is a complexmatter. Unlike other wargames, Combat Mission simulates theprocess by modeling real-world physics instead of abstract CRTs(Combat Resolution Tables).
Hit ChanceFirst of all, an anti-tank round - regardless if fired from an anti-
tank gun, a light infantry anti-tank weapon like a bazooka oranother tank - has to hit its target. As a guideline, a Hit Chanceis shown whenever you order a unit to fire at an enemy ar-mored vehicle. The hit chance is calculated based on manydifferent dynamic factors, which also change constantly duringthe course of an Action Phase - but it does give the player arough idea about the capabilities of the firing weapon.
Some factors taken into account when calculating hit chancesare
� size of the target (the silhouette rating)� facing of the target (vehicle sides are usually bigger - longer -
than the front)� distance between firing unit and target� exposure of the target (it�s much more difficult to hit some-
thing which is obstructed from view by trees, a stone wall, ahouse or a slope - see HULL DOWN)
� if the firing unit and/or target are moving, and their speeds� the accuracy of the firing weapon, which is often directly
proportional to its muzzle velocity, i.e. a faster shot means aflatter trajectory and easier aiming
� the experience rating of the firing crew� number of previous rounds already fired at this target, which
allow the gunner to "bracket"� ammunition type, caliber, and weight
Hull DownOne of the best tactics to enhance the survivability of your armor
is to occupy hull down positions. "Hull down" means that onlythe turret or superstructure is visible to (and hittable by) theenemy, thereby minimizing the target area tremendously (thesilhouette of a vehicle is reduced) without sacrificing one�s ownability to fire. Hull-down vehicles are also harder to spot in thefirst place.
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Hull-down positions are not as easy to find as one might think,though. What makes it so difficult is that a hull-down positionis always relative between the firing unit and the target. It isentirely possible to be hull-down against one tank, while beingin full view of another one. Only rarely will you find a naturaldip in the terrain large enough to fit a tank which also provideshull-down status in multiple directions. (Note: in some sce-narios you might be allowed to dig in your tanks, however,which achieves exactly this result).
Experience is what it takes to spot good hull-down positions.Hull-down positions can be found anywhere, all the time, andnot only in "holes" but even on top of a hill. If your tank is farenough off the ridge, only its turret/superstructure will bevisible to targets on the opposite side.
Since hull-down status is so dynamic and relative, there is nosimple "hull down" order in Combat Mission. You are required toscout the map and use your best judgement. Only when anenemy appears can you be sure if you are truly hull-down. Ifyou use the LOS or TARGET tool, the words "hull down" willappear over the target and/or firing unit, if at all.
Hint: a good way to achieve hull-down status is to park a tankbehind an elevation and out of view of enemy tanks (called"turret down" or "defilade"). When your other units spot (orhear) an approaching enemy tank moving into line of sight,issue a HUNT order to your tank. This will order it to moveforward until it spots the enemy, rendering it hull-downtowards the target on most occasions.
MissesIf a shot misses, it does not magically disappear. Instead, the
round is tracked to its impact point. Since the trajectory of gunrounds is modelled realistically (i.e. rounds drop by gravity asthey travel), this might mean that a missed projectile ends upsomewhere behind the missed target in the ground or, if firedtoo short, in front of it. But elevations can change this dramati-cally, and when a target on a hill is missed, the round caneasily travel hundreds or thousands of meters further.
Wherever the impact point lies, damage is caused. If a roundwhich missed the intended target sails further and lands nearanother unit, damage is assessed just as if the unlucky targetwas the intended one. It won�t happen often, but it can.
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Armor PenetrationsWhen a gun round hits an armored target, it does not mean an
automatic kill. Far from it - both Axis and Allies had tanks inservice which could shrug off direct hits, especially if the shellcame from long range and at an oblique angle.
Some factors taken into account when determining whether around penetrates armor are:
� armor thickness for front/side/rear as well as top/turret/upper hull/lower hull
� armor slope for all of the above� Side angle (i.e. obliquity)� Striking velocity (reduced by air resistance as the shell
travels)� Armor quality (i.e. metallurgical flaws)� Face hardened or homogeneous plate� Brinnell Hardness Number (BHN)� Shot-to-plate diameter ratio� Shell "cap" type and strength� Special ammo (like tungsten rounds and discarding sabot
rounds)� Shot shatter� Shot traps (a design flaw in the vehicle shape which tends to
"catch" shells rather than let them ricochet away)� Armor skirts ("Schürzen")
Note: Combat Mission does not use a generic armor"strength", but real-life values taken directly fromhistorical sources: armor thicknesses in millimeters andslopes measured in degrees.
A successful anti-armor round penetrates the armor, sendingmolten metal fragments and spray into the crew compartment,and - if the shell also contains an explosive charge - explodesinside the vehicle. In many (but not all) cases this means thatthe penetrated vehicle is either physically damaged in somefundamental way, members of the crew are incapacitated orpanicked, or both. A vehicle so damaged is called "knockedout", and surviving crew members hastily "bail out" of theirwrecked vehicle before the next shell arrives. Sometimes theresults are even more horrific. If the penetration contacts liveammunition inside the vehicle, or a tank of gasoline, the wholevehicle can burst into flames, otherwise known as a "brew up".
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Sometimes no one escapes these deadly infernos. Early Sher-man tank models were known to catch fire easily, and werenicknamed "Tommycookers" by the Germans, "Ronsons" by theBritish, and "Zippos" by the Americans (the latter two aftercigarette lighter brands).
Non-Penetrating HitsAn armored vehicle can still be damaged even by a hit which does
not penetrate the armor. External equipment such as the gunor its optics can be damaged, as well as the vehicle becomingimmobilized by a hit to the tracks or a vital engine component.A non-penetrating hit can even injure or kill crewmembers bycausing internal armor flaking or "spalling". This happens whenthe impact force on the outside rips small fragments off theinside of the armor and hurls them around the crew compart-ment, potentially injuring or killing the crew.
A round can also bounce off and ricochet. This happens mostlywhen the armor slope and angle of impact (called side angle orobliquity) prevents the round from striking the target platehead-on. If the round lacks the power to penetrate the armor itliterally bounces back or even shatters. Ricochets can some-times cause armor flaking, but are usually harmless and goodnews for the tank crews.
"Piercing caps" were developed to help reduce the chance of aricochet. Armor piercing shells originally were just blocks ofmetal, but it was discovered that these had a tendency toricochet off sloped armor, so a "cap" was put on the tip of theshell. The cap is somewhat flat in shape and "grips" the targetwhen it hits, reducing the chance of ricochet. AP with a cap iscalled APC (or APCBC if it also has a second, outer "ballisticcap" which improves aerodynamics, but that�s a differentissue).
Ricochets sometimes are also "prevented" by the target itself.Pockets in a vehicle�s shape that tend to "catch" shells areknown as Shot Traps. Look at the underside of a Panther modelA mantlet. You can see how a hit would be deflected down-ward, right into the thin roof of the hull. This was fixed withthe later Model G�s additional "chin".
Rounds can also shatter upon impact. German shells were madestronger than Allied shells, and the metal could withstand
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greater stress without breaking apart. Shot shatter happenswhen an improperly tempered (i.e. heat-treated) shell hits verythick armor and breaks upon contact. Allied shells often werenot tempered properly. This defect didn�t show up much in the75mm Sherman because its low velocity did not unmask theproblem (the shell just bounced). But in the 76mm it becameapparent, especially against the frontal armor of Panthers andTigers.
The shot diameter-to-plate thickness ratio can have a signifi-cant impact on the chances a shell might penetrate its target.The shot-to-plate ratio compares the caliber of the round withthe thickness of the armor. A general rule of thumb is that ifthe ratio is <1 (the plate is thicker than the caliber of theshell), the round is "underpowered" and has a lesser chance ofachieving a penetration. If the ratio is >1 (the shell is biggerthan the thickness of the armor), the shot is "overpowered" andthe chances for a penetration are higher.
Armor TypesDifferent qualities of steel and different types of manufacturing
have a big impact on the effective resistance of armor. TheBrinnell Hardness Number (BHN) is a measure of the metallur-gical "hardness" of the armor. Obsolete or poor manufacturingtechniques can cause armor to resist with less capability thanone would expect for a given thickness. For example, thearmor of early war Sherman models is known to be less thanideal - you will see this in the detailed unit info window. Forexample, check out the basic M4 Sherman. Its armor quality israted at only 85%.
There are also different types of armor: face-hardened andhomogenous. Homogenous plate is a largely uniform block.Face-hardened armor has been treated to arrive at a higher"hardness" (measured in the BHN), thus increasing the chancethat a shell will ricochet or shatter. Face-hardened armor doeshave a weakness, though. Because it is more brittle thanuniform block, it can catastrophically break apart upon impact.
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Armor Skirts (Schürzen)Schürzen is the name for the relatively thin (about 5mm) softsteel plates mounted a short distance (usually a couple of feet)from the primary flank armor of a tank. Originally designed bythe Germans to help protect vehicles from the Soviet 14.5mmAnti-Tank Rifles, they proved useful against shaped chargesused by many types of light anti-tank weapons like bazookas.
This defensive measure essentially detonated a hollow chargeround before it struck the main armor. Although the vehiclemight have suffered damage, it was not likely lethal to thecrew and greatly increased the chances the vehicle remainedfunctional. It is interesting to note that although the Germansfielded large numbers and types of hollow charge weapons (likethe Panzerfaust), the Germans were the only ones to employ�skirts� on its vehicles in a standardized way.
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Command & Control
Like any commander in the field, the ability to control yourtroops� actions depends on how well you communicate ordersto them. Combat Mission simulates this through a variety ofdifferent means.
Command DelayEvery unit has an inherent command delay before it can execute
any new movement orders, though it can still use its weaponsand react during this time. This simulates the time it takes foryour orders to reach that unit, which in real life would bethrough hand signals, radio, or simply shouting, and for the unitto understand and respond.
The length of the delay depends on the experience of the unitand whether it is within command range of a "parent" Head-quarters (HQ) unit. The exception are vehicles, which arealways considered to be in command (by use of radios), andsuffer a delay based on their experience only. HQ units arealways considered in command.
Command RangeA HQ unit can keep any number of units within its command range
and grant them the benefits of a shorter delay time and leader-ship bonuses. The command range of a HQ unit depends on itsexperience, its COMMAND leadership ability, and whether thereis a line of sight between the HQ unit and its subordinate unit.Vehicles themselves receive no benefit from HQs, but a bailedout crew is treated like any other infantry team.
Platoon HQs can keep any unit from its own platoon undercommand, as well as any nearby teams (recognizable by theirID-number starting with T).
Company HQs and Battalion HQs can keep any non-vehicle unit(regardless to which platoon they belong) under command. If aPlatoon HQ is eliminated, its subordinate squads are out ofcommand for the remainder of the game, unless a Company HQor Battalion HQ unit is close enough to keep them in command.
By left-clicking on an HQ unit, a number of brown lines extendfrom the HQ to all subordinate units currently under its com-
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mand. By clicking on a subordinate unit, a brown line extendsto the HQ unit under which control the unit currently is. If theline is black, then the unit is out of command range and suffersan increased delay penalty. If the Platoon HQ is eliminated, NOlines are displayed unless the unit is in command of a higher-level HQ, in which case brown lines appear.
The small radio icon in the unit interface (visible after clickingon a unit) tells you if a unit is in command or not. If the radioicon is crossed out, the unit is out of command.
Leadership AbilitiesBesides shorter delay times, a unit in command also benefits from
the leadership abilities of the HQ that is keeping it "in com-mand". These are:
Command (icon: star)Increases the command radius of the HQ unit.
Combat (icon: lightning bolt)Increases the fighting abilities of units under its command (i.e.to-hit chance, firepower)
Morale (icon: heart)Lowers the chance of a unit panicking or routing under itscommand. Panicked units rally faster.
Stealth (icon: question mark)Increases the chance of remaining unspotted in ambush andwhile sneaking.
Possible ratings for HQ units are 0 (normal), +1 (very good) and+2 (exceptional). Platoon HQs tend to have better combatrelated skills, while Company and Battalion HQs more likelyexcel in command.
Take a careful look at your HQ units. Learning to ambush withthe platoon that has the highest Stealth ability while charginginto close assault with the one that has good ratings in Combatand Rally can make the difference between victory and defeat.
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Morale and Experience
Combat Mission is designed to simulate human behavior on thebattlefield as realistically as possible, while still allowing forthe game to be... a game.
The typical World War Two battlefield is a horrid place to be in.Your life is at risk almost all the time, friends are being killedand mutilated and you are forced to kill for your own survival.Needless to say, even the boldest man can and will breakeventually under such conditions and perhaps panic, run away,hide or simply become insane.
The soldiers in CM are no different and value their own virtuallives highly. If you expose them to enemy fire or if they have tofight an overwhelming enemy, chances are that at some pointthey will start disobeying your orders and act toward their ownself-preservation. The morale status, as displayed in the unit�sinfo screen, indicates what the unit thinks about its currentsituation.
The Eight Levels of Morale
OKNot suppressed to any significant degree.
AlertedThe unit has noticed incoming enemy fire or danger of somesort, but is not yet adversely affected by it.
CautiousThe unit has encountered direct opposition and will think twicebefore doing something risky. Cautious units tend to take coverwhen fired upon and are somewhat reluctant to leave theircurrent positions (as indicated by the longer command delaysimposed on such units) and might replot waypoints on theirown if they feel that their commander (the player) is nuts tohave them walk across that open field.
ShakenDanger is mounting. The unit�s morale is still holding together,but the soldiers are on edge, and will disobey orders if theyfeel it�s a matter of survival. Usually shaken squads try to look
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for cover and not expose themselves to enemy fire, mightsimply disobey orders and instead choose to remain where theyare. They might even go looking for better cover.
PinnedThese guys are not going anywhere. They simply keep theirheads down and stay in cover. Pinned units often try to finish amovement order when they become pinned while moving, butmost likely ignore their orders and try to move to nearestcover.
PanickedThe player loses control over the unit as self-preservationbecomes first priority. Panicked units usually try to run awayfrom danger.
BrokenThe unit�s morale and cohesion is shattered. This state takesmuch longer to recover from than panicked, and the unitusually runs farther away. Broken units are also permanentlyrattled, indicated by a "!" marker beside the tag (see below).
RoutedThis unit has had enough and wants to get as far away aspossible as quickly as possible. Routed units take a long time torecover and brought back under control. Routed units alsoremain seriously rattled for the duration of the battle.
Occasionally, an "!" (exclamation mark) appears to the right ofthe Suppression status. This indicates that although the unitmight have recovered from an earlier Broken or Routed condi-tion, it has been RATTLED by what it went through, and is morelikely to panic, surrender, or rout when it comes into contactwith enemy units again. Such brittle units are less combateffective for the rest of the game and should be used for�safer� duties.
How quickly a unit moves from OK to Routed depends on:� the amount of incoming fire and resulting casualties� if the unit is in command or not. Platoon, company and
battalion commanders have the ability to keep theirmen rallied under even the most intense enemy fire
� the experience of the unit. Green units might cower atthe first shot fired at them, while elite units mightwithstand even the heaviest artillery barrage
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Designer�s Note: Most crews that have their vehicle orgun shot to pieces under them will become rattled,regardless of their suppression status. This is not onlyrealistic, but meant as an additional discouragement touse such crews in an unrealistic (offensive) way. Simplyput, they won�t be very effective so get them back tothe rear.
Fanatic TroopsIt is possible to encounter fanatic troops in Combat Mission. There
are many historical examples for such troops - the indoctri-nated Hitlerjugend formations and the "stubborn" defenders ofBastogne fit this description well.
Fanatic troops will not panic, break, or rout even when suffer-ing heavy losses and rarely surrender. However, the player doesnot know which of his troops will turn out to be fanatic. Infact, there is no indication of this state of being at all, at anypoint in the game. This prevents easy abuse and misuse ofFanatic units in unrealistic ways. The result is that you can onlyguess which units are going beyond the call of duty due tobeing fanatic.
Note: There is one exception to fanatic units� immunityfrom panicking - being the victim of a flamethrowerattack. Even the most hardcore units pack it in whenthey are on fire!
The scenario designer determines, for each side independently,whether fanatic troops can appear in a given scenario. Hecannot, however, designate a specific unit to be fanatic. This isdetermined randomly for each unit based on a percentagechance set by the designer in the scenario parameters (seeEDITOR).
ExperienceThe morale of inexperienced soldiers, not yet used to the sights
and sounds of war, tends to deteriorate more quickly under firethan that of seasoned veterans. This does not mean, however,that as experience grows, soldiers turn into emotionless robots.
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Instead, they simply learned how to deal with certain situationsand, even more importantly, how to improve their chances ofsurvival.
Artillery barrages are a good example. While heavy artilleryfire is most likely enough to pin and/or panic an inexperiencedsquad in the middle of an open field (which will result in heavycasualties more often than not), a veteran squad might pushforward across the field and out of the killing zone despiteheavy initial casualties, and so - in the end - ensure the survivalof more of its members.
But better morale is only one advantage of troops with experi-ence. They usually are able to react faster to new orders and/or situations even when not currently "in command", which isreflected in a much better (shorter) command delay. Units alsotire more quickly the less experience they have.
Lastly, the experience rating of a unit also has an impact on itsoffensive capabilities, i.e. firepower. This reflects, amongother factors, better marksmanship, better use of ammunitionand proper handling of weapons - in short, the ability to bringfirepower onto a given target quickly and effectively.
There are six experience ratings in Combat Mission:
Conscript"Third line" troops who received little or no training, and haveprobably never been in battle. The Volkssturm and "ear andstomach" formations (named so because most of their memberswere either deaf or had serious stomach problems) of late warGermany are the primary examples. Very likely to panic orsurrender when under enemy fire. Certain combat arms, likeairborne troops and Gebirgsjäger, which always required acertain amount of training and physical fitness to be acceptedwithin their ranks, cannot be conscripts.
Green"Second line" troops. Received basic training but have little ifany combat experience. Can also simulate troops used outsideof their usual role, e.g. artillery crews used as foot soldiers.Newly-raised American infantry units shipped over to Europe asreplacements are good examples of green troops.
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RegularProperly trained, and most likely have some combat experi-ence, though not extensively. Some German units with a mix ofseasoned veterans (often from the Russian front) and freshreplacements (the typical way the Germans refitted units inEurope) can also be considered regular. The majority of troopsfrom all nations should be in this category.
VeteranThese are first line troops who received first class training and/or have proven themselves in combat. Able to withstand evenfierce close combat without breaking. Many airborne and WGtroops, along with regular infantry units with long combathistories, are considered veterans.
CrackThe best veteran soldiers achieve this level. Able to fightindependently and overcome superior forces. You shouldencounter troops of this caliber only rarely.
EliteThe best of the best. Only a handful of personalities/squadsqualify as elite soldiers. Extensive combat experience ANDfirst-class training are required for elite status. Soldiers of thiscaliber are exceedingly rare, even among first-rate forces likethe airborne. The famous German tank ace Michael Wittmann isa good example of an "elite" tank commander.
Unlike some other games, units do not rise from one experiencelevel to another during battles or even operations. It takesmuch more than a few hours� worth of battle to become a trueveteran in real life, and can take years before reaching elitestatus - all of which is far beyond the scope of Combat Mission.
FatigueIf a unit is ordered to run for long stretches without break, its
physical fatigue will rise - in other words, your men becometired. Units generally start out "rested", then can become"ready" (not yet tired but no longer fresh), �OK�, "tired", then"weary" and finally "exhausted" after running for too long.Crawling, sneaking, and even walking can cause fatigue, albeitmuch more slowly than running.
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Fatigue has two distinct effects on troops. Exhausted troops arenot allowed to RUN or SNEAK (try moving stealthily while tryingto catch your breath!) and their hand-to-hand combat capabili-ties are reduced.
In order to reduce the fatigue of your men, you have to letthem "rest" (just stop moving). It takes less than a minute to goback from ready to rested, but might take longer to get fromtired to ready. Weary units need even more rest time andexhausted units need to sit down and drink a cup of tea beforethey can move out again (well, at least the British ones).
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Fog of War
Unless you choose to play with "Fog of War: none" (in the Optionsmenu at scenario startup), only friendly forces will be visibleon the map initially. Enemies must be spotted by one of yourunits before they appear on the map. Combat Mission uses acomplex spotting and sighting model to simulate the limitedknowledge of a battlefield commander and what is generallyknown as Fog of War.
Enemy units can be displayed on the map according to five"spotting levels":
No Contact - Level 0No enemy unit is displayed. It�s still out there somewhere, but
you won�t see it, because none of your units are able to see orhear it. Keep in mind, though, that the enemy might see you! Ifyou�re walking down a quiet road and the enemy is hidingbehind some hedges, he might have identified all your unitsbefore you even catch a glimpse of him. In fact, your unitsmight be dead before they see where the fire is coming from insuch a situation.
Sound Contact - Level 1Most wargames allow spotting only when a line of sight exists
between the spotter and the target. In Combat Mission, soundalso plays an important role. If you are close enough, or if thetarget is loud enough (e.g. a tank racing down a road at fullspeed or an infantry squad firing its weapons), you can "spot" aunit even when no line of sight exists. Such units are displayedas generic gray icons, and clicking on them reveals SOUNDCONTACT in the unit info window. The general type of the unitis displayed as well, e.g. infantry? or tank?, but do not rely toomuch on this. Additionally, the enemy unit is shown at a loca-tion which may be somewhat incorrect (your soldiers aremaking their best guess by listening), so don�t be surprised ifthe enemy unit seems to move through impassable terrain (oreven off-map), and then suddenly "moves" into line of sight in adifferent (but nearby) location.
First Contact - Level 2The enemy unit has moved into line of sight and one of your
friendly units has caught a glimpse of it or the enemy has
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opened fire at you and you see the muzzle flashes. At this pointonly sketchy details are available. When you click on such aunit, a general unit type is given (Infantry? or Tank?), but notmuch more than that. Enemy infantry units are always dis-played using one soldier figure, regardless of the actual type.Enemy vehicles and guns are always displayed with a genericgrey model.
Contact - Level 3If the enemy is close enough, is exposed, or has been firing at you
for a while, more information becomes available. Enemyinfantry units now are classified as squads or teams (e.g.mortar teams, anti-tank teams) and weapons can be spotted,too. Vehicle types - tanks or tank destroyers or assault-guns -are usually identifiable at this stage.
Infantry is displayed with the corresponding number of figuresbased on unit strength and vehicles are displayed as a commonmodel of vehicle for the identified vehicle type (a heavyGerman tank will most likely be displayed as a Tiger, a US tankdestroyer as an M10, etc.)
Take careful note of the fact that sometimes your troops -especially the inexperienced ones - can incorrectly identifyenemy vehicles, usually as something bigger and scarier thanthey really are. It was common in WW II for American soldiersto refer to just about any German tank as a "Tiger", when inreality only a small portion of the Panzer units were equippedwith Tigers. Most of these so-called "Tigers" were probably MarkIV medium tanks (whose silhouette is similar to the Tiger), andyou�ll see this sort of mistake happen in Combat Mission, too.Once the spotting reaches level 4 (see below) any "mistakes"are corrected and the true identity of the vehicle is displayed.
Identified- Level 4If the unit is sufficiently close or exposed, one of your units will
identify it fully. This means that the number of soldiers in asquad or team are displayed in the unit window, as well as thecorrect model of vehicle, experience of the unit, and more.This is as much information as you will ever get about theenemy.
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Lost Contact - Generic Unit MarkerAfter a unit has been spotted, it is possible to lose contact with
it. The "lost" unit will be graphically replaced by a generic unitmarker (each nationality has its own unique marker type- starsfor Americans, crosses for Germans, etc.), showing the lastknown position of the enemy unit. Clicking on such a markerwill display the last available information about the unit.
These markers stay on the map until the same unit has beenspotted again (even if in a completely different location) or ifyou approach near enough to the marker to verify that thepreviously spotted unit is no longer there. In such a case themarker disappears, regardless of whether the enemy has beenspotted elsewhere.
Option - Partial Fog of WarWith the options set to "Fog of War: partial", enemy units must
still be spotted, but every spotted enemy is fully identifiedfrom this point on. This is a good way for less-experiencedplayers to get used to the game system.
Option - No Fog of WarWith the setting "Fog of War: none", all enemy units on the map
will be shown and fully identified, regardless if they are spot-ted or not. This is a great way for beginners to get a feel forthe game, but also for scenario designers who wish to test abattle they made.
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SPOTTING
Units spot best when stationary. Movement, especially running,means that a unit�s field of vision is generally restricted to thedirection in which the unit is moving. The same is true forvehicles, as the driver and tank commander are (at leastpartly) focused on getting to their objective without collidingwith obstacles or bogging down. Hiding and crawling units alsospot worse, as their main task is to keep their heads down, notwatch for the enemy. Sneaking, on the other hand, allows for areasonable degree of spotting.
Vehicles are generally poorer spotters than infantry, especiallywhen buttoned up. Don�t be surprised when one of your tankswith closed hatches suddenly runs into an anti-tank team hidingjust a few meters away from it. Also don�t be surprised whenYOU (as the player hovering above the battlefield) can see atarget that your tank simply will not engage. What you can seeis not necessarily what the tank can see!
It�s often tactically wise to keep some units stationary onoverwatch duty while others advance. Unfortunately, onecannot always afford the luxury of being cautious.
Designer�s Note: In order to prevent the abuse of bailedout crews as disposable scouts, we drastically reducedtheir ability to spot enemy units. Be warned that if yougo moving your crews off into enemy territory the firstunit they spot might be their last!
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Close Air Support
Both sides can have fighter-bombers for close air support (CAS) ina battle. However, the player does NOT control the actions ofhis planes. They roam above the battlefield, spot and engagetargets at their own discretion.
Combat Mission does NOT simulate carpet-bombings or largescale raids. These are outside of the game�s scope. Instead, thefighting on the ground is intended to take place AFTER suchbombings, and close air support in Combat Mission means theappearance of small formations of fighter-bombers (maybe justa single plane), over which company and battalion commandershave little or no immediate control.
There are two basic types of fighter-bombers in the game. Oneis equipped with rockets (enough for two passes), the otherwith a pair of 500-pound bombs, dropped simultaneously. Axisairplanes always carry bombs, while Allied aircraft can be ofeither type. British aircraft are more likely to carry rockets.Additionally, every plane has .50 caliber machineguns (Ameri-can) or 20mm cannon (British and German) with which to makestrafing runs.
How often a plane attacks and conducts strafing runs dependson how much anti-aircraft fire it encounters (i.e. how many AAassets the opposition has on the map). Heavy AA fire can makea plane break off its attack early and even become damaged orshot down.
Besides dedicated AA (Flak) guns, vehicles equipped with AAmachineguns will engage airplanes unless they are busy firingat ground targets, or are buttoned up and unable to access theMG. Infantry will rarely if ever fire at planes, choosing insteadto save ammunition.
Since airplanes have to spot targets just like ground units do, itdoes improve survivability for the player under air attack tohide units in trees or other cover. A tank sitting out in an openfield is an easy target.
Fighter pilots can misidentify targets and attack friendly unitsby mistake. Do not be too surprised when, especially while
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locked in close combat with an enemy, a couple of "friendly"bombs take out YOUR last tank!
Fighter-Bombers appear only in clear weather. However, evenin clear weather, there is a small chance that a fighter-bombermight not arrive at all. Mechanical problems and communica-tions snafus cause this sort of thing and were not uncommon onthe WW II battlefield.
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Artillery and Mortars
There are two forms of artillery in Combat Mission: on-map andoff-map. For the sake of this discussion, "artillery" stands forany form of weapon designed to hurl an explosive charge at adesignated target. This includes howitzers, mortars, rockets,and naval guns unless otherwise noted.
On-Map ArtilleryOn-map artillery is represented by actual artillery guns, while off-
map artillery is represented by artillery spotter teams. Exceptfor small-caliber mortars (60mm and 81mm for example) it israther unusual to have an artillery gun on the battle map, sincemost of the time artillery batteries were positioned well behindthe front lines. They are included in the game, however, tosimulate rear guard actions and exceptional circumstances.
While on-map, artillery units behave just like any other unitsand have their own set of available orders. Some big artilleryguns cannot move (they�re simply too big and it can take hoursto relocate them), but many can be either towed or man-handled (slowly). After moving, however, a gun has to be"unlimbered" and prepared for firing (the process is automatic).Depending on the type of the gun, this can take anywherebetween one and several minutes.
Off-Map ArtilleryMost of the time, an artillery battery is represented on the map
by an artillery spotter team. This team is equipped withbinoculars, detailed terrain map with overlay grid, and a radio.Its job is to spot targets for a particular artillery battery byreporting the location of incoming rounds and adjusting theaim.
Plotting Artillery MissionsTo call in an artillery strike, simply issue a TARGET or TARGETWIDE order to the artillery spotter team. Target is the normalchoice, while Target Wide is useful for larger and dispersedformations of enemy units. When the spotter can actually seethe target area, the speed and accuracy of the barrage aregreatly enhanced, but it is not required. In other words, youcan call in artillery anywhere on the map without having totrace an LOS.
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This is not true when the firing artillery piece is actually on-map. In such cases, a direct LOS is required. The exception tothis are on-map mortars. Usually, mortars require a LOS to beable to fire. However, if a mortar unit is within command radiusof an HQ unit, the HQ unit can serve as spotter and the mortaris able to AREA FIRE at locations which are out of its own LOSbut within LOS of the HQ unit. Additionally, mortars are al-lowed to fire at Target Reference Points (TRP), even if out ofLOS, but only provided they have not moved from their initialsetup positions.
Using HQs for Indirect FireAn on-map mortar can carry out AREA FIRE missions without Line-
of-Sight (LOS), provided it is "in command" of an HQ that doeshave LOS to the desired target location. A mortar can alsoAREA FIRE at (or very near) a Target Reference Point (TRP)without LOS, but does not need an HQ to do this. Additionally,a mortar can not be moved at all or it will lose its ability to fireat a TRP indirectly. It took a lot of time to set up and registermortars to do this sort of shooting, so if you move you lose!
To fire indirectly simply set up everything as described above,and target the mortar as you normally would. The LOS line, ifpointing to an area not visible to the mortar team, will stillappear to be BLACK. Click where you would like the target tobe and, if the HQ commanding the mortar can see it, thetargeting line will �stick� showing that an Area Fire order wassuccessfully plotted. If the line does not �stick� it means theHQ does not have LOS to that exact spot. Double check withthe HQ unit�s LOS to choose a legitimate spot to target.
Artillery AmmunitionArtillery spotter teams have AMMO displayed in their unit info
window just like any other unit. On-map artillery units have alimited number of specific types of shells (HE and usuallySmoke). But in the case of a spotter, ammo represents thenumber of shells attached battery is allowed to fire (for gamepurposes, four individual guns/mortars comprise a battery).Many types of batteries can fire SMOKE as well as normal high-explosive shells. In this case, each ammo point can be used aseither smoke or high-explosive. Rounds used for �spotting�count against the battery�s total.
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DelaysThere is a delay between issuing a target order and the arrival of
the first rounds, ranging anywhere from about 30 seconds up toabout 5 minutes. The delay depends primarily on the national-ity and experience level of the spotter. In addition, mortars(rather than howitzers or guns) are considered to be attachedto the fighting formation at a lower, more local level, andtherefore react much faster to your artillery requests.
The ESTIMATED time delay before the strike commences isshown in the artillery spotter�s unit info window. Keep in mindthat this is only the estimated time and it can take a little lessor much longer before the first rounds fall. This "clock" will tickdown much more slowly while the spotter does not have a lineof sight to the target.
Usually about 30-60 seconds before the full strike, a few"spotting rounds" fall on or near the target. These are neededfor the spotter team to adjust the fire properly (and is auto-matic - no input from the player is required). Accuracy for themain strike is considerably better if the spotter has a line ofsight to the target. The artillery strike will continue overseveral turns until either the ammo is used up, or until thespotter�s targeting order is cancelled.
Adjusting FireYou can also adjust or "walk" the aiming point a short distance
even after the strike has begun, in which case the fire shiftswith a much shorter time delay than for a whole new order.Simply issue a new target order for the spotter, not too faraway from the original target point. If the targeting line is lightgreen, you are within the acceptable "quick adjustment" radiusof the original aiming point. If the line is blue, you are too faraway and the time delay will be the same as if a completelynew order had been issued, since the guns have to recalibrate.(Press SPACE to cancel a retargeting order in progress withoutdisturbing the current targeting order if you realize you can�tget a "green line" where you want it).
Target Reference PointsTarget Reference Points (TRP) are locations which have been
carefully pre-registered for artillery - i.e. all heavy weaponshave recorded the coordinates and necessary firing adjust-
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ments before the battle, in order to be able to bring fire onsuch an area with the highest accuracy and in the shortestpossible time.
Usually players put TRPs, which look like red-colored bullseyemarkers, onto important locations like enemy staging areas,likely defensive strongpoints, road junctions, or probableavenues of attack. In fact, the first thing to do for a combatunit, sometimes even before digging foxholes, is pre-registeringtargets for the artillery.
In the game, TRPs are available for the defender and attackeralike, but the scenario designer decides to included them (ornot) for each side. During the Setup Phase (and only during theSetup Phase), they can be moved freely across the map (unlesspadlocked) and are not bound by setup zones.
If a TRP is targeted by an artillery spotter, the time it takes forthe artillery strike to arrive is cut drastically. It can take aslittle as ten seconds for the first rounds to arrive!
TRPs can also be targeted by on-map mortars, even if they areout of LOS, but only if the mortar team did not move from itsoriginal setup position.
Other on-map ordnance, like antitank guns, can use TRPs aswell. When firing at enemy units on or very near a TRP, theygain a considerable accuracy bonus because they are consid-ered to have "boresighted" or "ranged" their weapons to theTRP before the battle.
Designer�s Note: You will notice some very large artillerycalibers in the game - as big as 14-inch battleship guns. Weincluded these enormous weapons for the sake of complete-ness, because they did have a (rare) presence on the CM-scale battlefield during the first weeks of combat in Nor-mandy. However, if you begin to design scenarios for peopleother than yourself, we implore you to add heavy artillery(200mm and up) very sparingly if at all to your scenarios.Huge guns just weren�t commonly used at the small tacticallevel.
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Fortifications And Mines
Fortifications (bunkers, pillboxes, wire, and mines) are availableonly for the defender, and never in meeting engagementscenarios. They are granted to a side by the scenario designeror can be bought for Quick Battles. During the Setup Phase of abattle, you are free to move and place them within the con-straints of the setup zones, but they cannot be moved duringthe battle itself.
All forms of fortifications (including mines) may be placed onlywithin a valid setup zone. A minefield is 20m x 20m in size,with the mine marker placed in its center. The defender canplace minefields next to each other, thereby creating largerminefields, but for game purposes CM treats these as separate20m x 20m elements. Once a minefield has been spotted, theTacAI will try to move units around it during the Action Phase.
Fortified Firing PositionsBunkers and pillboxes have a firing arc inside which they can
engage targets through a frontal firing slit. Outside of this arc,they are basically impotent. The rear of a bunker or pillbox isits weak point - since this is where the exit doors are located -and can be penetrated even by light ordnance. From closerange, however, a bunker/pillbox is always vulnerable toinfantry, which can throw grenades through firing ports. Flame-throwers are especially useful for knocking out bunkers/pill-boxes. Additionally, ordnance can occasionally score a lucky hitto a pillbox�s frontal firing slit, possibly knocking out thepillbox in the process. But this is generally only possible atclose range (within a few hundred meters).
Note: AT gun Pillboxes receive an accuracy bonus, vs. anormal AT gun, because such fortifications have already�ranged in� the area within their firing arc. Rangedetermination is one of the greatest contributors toaiming accuracy, so predetermined and reliable rangeinformation greatly increases accuracy (all else beingequal).
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Barbed WireWire can be crossed by infantry or tanks, but only at a much
slower pace. Roadblocks can be crossed by infantry (at a slowerpace) but are impassable to vehicles.
MinesThere are three types of mines in the game.
Antipersonnel MinesLethal to infantry and can cause several casualties within
seconds when stumbled upon. Casualties are higher forinfantry units moving quickly through a mined area thanwhen sneaking or moving slowly. Once spotted, a minemarker appears in the area. Infantry will refuse to enter sucha minefield even when ordered to. They may, however, enterit when in panic or rout.
Antitank MinesDangerous to tanks and vehicles, and although not always
lethal, can at least immobilize them. Antitank mines areharmless to infantry because they are not heavy enough todetonate them.
Daisy-Chain MinesHastily-placed anti-vehicle mines that are easily spotted by the
enemy because they are above ground. They do not generallycause direct harm, but rather deny the enemy certain ap-proaches, generally across road surfaces. Their real lifeadvantage is that they can be placed MUCH faster thannormal minefields and hence were used often in hastyretreats.
Clearing MinesEngineers with demolition charges are able to clear gaps through
minefields. Simply move them within 25 meters of theminefield and wait. It takes a few minutes (turns) to clear agap through the mines. Additionally, engineers can clear Daisy-chain mines without the use of demolition charges. The num-ber of engineers affect their speed in clearing mines. Generallya near full squad is needed to accomplish clearing a particularmined area.
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Battles and Operations
BattlesBattle scenarios in Combat Mission represent anywhere from a
few minutes up to two hours of fierce combat action on thefront lines. This is the essence of "battles" or "engagements" or"firefights" that you will find described in books on militaryhistory. Reconnaissance has been done, both sides know thatthe enemy is out there somewhere and contact is imminent. Allother questions about supplies, reinforcements and artilleryallocation have been solved. Also, any preparatory artillerystrikes or air raids have been completed prior to the start of aBattle. In other words, CM is a TACTICAL game and does notsimulate strategic, large scale military actions.
Therefore, units in single battles do not get resupplied andcannot gain experience (e.g. "rise" from regular to veterantroops), as CMs timeframe is simply too narrow for this tohappen realistically. Also, do not be confused about casualtylevels - CM simulates front line combat only, and casualtieswithin heavily-engaged frontline rifle companies are MUCHhigher than those for whole divisions (which is generally whatcasualty statistics in books represent). During WWII wholecompanies and even battalions were often almost totallyannihilated within an hour of fierce combat, and this is exactlywhat you might see in CM.
Tip: Keep an eye on ammo levels, especially for longerbattles. Even fully-equipped, front line units rarelycarried ammo for more then 20 minutes of continuousfiring, so ammo preservation (ensuring its most effec-tive use) is an important point in this type of engage-ment. Close range combat, particularly under 30 metersor so, greatly increases the expenditure of ammo.
OperationsCombat Mission�s tactical approach to wargaming changes only
slightly with Operations. Operations allow players to fight aconnected series of battles over a large map, using only aportion of the map at a time (wherever the front line is), withthe front line dynamically moving back and forth depending onthe results of previous fighting. Operations can stretch overseveral days, so certain "strategic" elements are introduced.
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SupplySupply is one of the major elements lacking in Battles. Inoperations units are resupplied between battles, replenishingammunition and even receiving fresh replacements. The supplylevel is preset by the operation designer, though, and can rangefrom SEVERE (for cut-off surrounded troops) to FULL. Addition-ally, ineffective units (crewmembers from knocked out tanksand guns, almost completely wiped out or routed squads etc.)are generally moved off the front lines.
Part of resupply also includes the recovery and replacement ofdamaged, bogged down, or abandoned armored vehicles. Suchvehicles disappear off the map between battles (usually over-night) and might return fully fit for fighting later on. But do notexpect miracles - it often takes days for a tank to return to thefront line, so you will most likely not see this for operationsspanning only one or two days. Be aware that a vehicle canonly be repaired if its crew escapes from the battle map (or ifthey�re killed/captured, but then there is additional delaybefore the repaired tank will return) so don�t keep tank crewsaround to fight like infantry.
Note: Armored vehicles that catch fire are not repairable.Combat Mission allows ordnance to shoot at armoredvehicles which are already knocked out, for the specificpurpose of setting them on fire and prohibiting repair.The Germans, aware of the efficient Allied repairsystem, often used this tactic in real life.
The Next BattleAfter the first battle of an operation is over, the next one willstart with a new Setup Phase for both sides. All units exceptbunkers, pillboxes, roadblocks and wire can now be movedfreely within the setup zone. Additionally, target referencepoints can be moved across the whole map.
Front lines are calculated anew in between battles, and de-pending on the progress made during the last battle, can moveforward or backward. The front line is straightened out in thisprocess, sometimes forcing one side�s units to withdraw to newdefensive positions further back on the map (but of coursefortifications like bunkers and pillboxes cannot be moved backand get their own "private" setup zone forward - you can movesome of your units forward to protect the bunkers - and risk anenvelopment of the bunker AND the supporting elements).
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While the setup zones for the first battle are determined bythe designer, they can expand to cover the whole width of thebattle map for subsequent battles.
Units have to be spotted again when a new battle begins, evenwhen they stayed in place (after all, they COULD have moved).However, fixed emplacements (like pillboxes and - if theirlocation is known - mines) are automatically re-spotted duringthe Orders Phase of turn 1.
Note: Although a narrow strip of "no man�s land" is addedautomatically between the two setup zones, keep inmind that you might easily start the next game withinview of enemy units. Often putting all your forces asfar forward as possible during the Setup Phase is not agood idea and might lead to their quick death fromenemy fire.
ReinforcementsIf scheduled to do so, reinforcements arrive during the SetupPhase of a new battle and are simply placed in the middle ofthe setup zone in no particular formation. A pop-up screenannounces the arrival of reinforcements, and the player is thenallowed to incorporate the fresh forces into his front line as helikes.
Tip: Units that exit the map during an operation will notreturn for the next battle. Therefore, exiting is gener-ally unwise.
Night CombatWhen night falls, a few special rules come into play. The SetupPhase of the night battle allows you to reposition your forces(including any reinforcements). However, actual combat canonly take place during the night if one or both sides have beenset to "May initiate night combat: Yes" by the designer of theoperation scenario. If so, once the Setup Phase is finished, ascreen will appear asking - "Attempt to skip night combat?" Ifboth players decide to skip it, or are not allowed to initiatenight combat in the first place, then no night combat takesplace and the next battle (at dawn or during the day) startswith another Setup Phase.
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The Environment
It is common military knowledge that weather can dictates theoutcome of wars. The German progress (or lack of it in thewinter) during Operation Barbarossa - their attack againstRussia - is a good example. The Allied ability to bring their airsuperiority to bear (with decisive results) during periods ofclear weather is another. At the tactical level, bad weathermeans troops tire more quickly and vehicles get stuck moreeasily. Movement is generally slower during periods of rain orsnow, and visibility can be seriously impaired as well. Simplychanging a battle�s weather settings can fundamentally alterthe way the battle plays out.
Time of DayThere are three daylight conditions simulated in CM: day, dawn/
dusk, and night. Visibility is reduced during dawn/dusk andheavily restricted during night. Nighttime fighting also createsa risk of misidentifying one�s own troops as enemy and friendlyfire can result. Keep this in mind when separating your forcesand/or moving close to enemy positions.
Atmospheric Weather
Clear - a nice sunny day with few or no clouds, offering goodvisibility across long distances. This is the only weather typethat allows airplanes to operate in the game.
Overcast - the sky is full with dark, low hanging clouds. Visibil-ity is somewhat reduced.
Rain - Visibility is reduced substantially. Noises are muffled andsound contacts are considerably more difficult to obtain.
Fog - a light mist covers the battlefield and visibility as well asnoise are reduced.
Thick Fog - you almost can�t see your own hand if you stretchit out in front of your face. Visibility is reduced to a mere fewmeters and the fog reduces the chance for sound contacts.
Snow - reduces visibility and has a slightly lesser impact onsound contacts than rain.
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Ground Conditions
Very Dry - very dry ground conditions are seldom found in Eu-rope, where sunny weather never really lasts more than a fewdays in a row. However, during the high summer months ofJune-August, the ground can be very dry after extended sun-shine. Very dry ground conditions increase the chance of fires.
Dry - dry ground, the typical kind of ground condition during a"normal" European summer.
Damp - early in the morning, in woods, or after several days ofovercast weather or fog, ground conditions will most likely bedamp. This raises the chance for vehicles bogging down whenoff dirt or paved roads.
Wet - after rain showers you tend to have wet ground. Thechance of bogging down when off roads is substantially in-creased, and even the dirt roads pose some danger of bogging.
Mud - when it has been raining for a few days, wet ground willturn into mud. Vehicles tend to get stuck in muddy ground(even on dirt roads) quickly and mud also greatly reduces thespeed of vehicles and infantry.
Deep Mud - after long periods of rain or melting snow, the groundcan become a quagmire. Vehicles should stick to roads (pavedif possible) and even infantry will find the going slow and tiringthrough such ground conditions.
Light Snow - a few inches of snow. The chance for bogging isincreased slightly and the snow affects movement speed a bit,but most vehicles can handle it well. In all three depths ofsnow conditions, rivers and lakes are frozen and can be enteredby infantry, but not vehicles.
Snow - roughly 8 inches of snow. Wheeled vehicles will get stuckfrequently and even tracked vehicles will find the goingtougher. Infantry moves more slowly.
Deep Snow - 12 inches or more. Most vehicles will get boggedeventually and infantry movement is slowed down substantially.
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Assault Boats
Assault boats are used to simulate small, simple vessels (e.g.boats, floats) for small-scale crossings of rivers. They are onlylightly protected and therefore vulnerable even to small armsfire.
Assault boats won�t move on their own. In order to move anassault boat, you need to embark at least a half squad worth ofmen into the boat (somebody needs to do the paddling), beforebeing able to issue movement commands to it. The sameprocedure is used to manhandle boats across land. Needless tosay, the going is much slower across land than over water.
When embarking or debarking from boats, pay attention towhere the boat is located. Keep in mind that no units can enterwater - even though you might issue a movement/debark orderto a passenger unit, if the boat is still on water, the unit willnot move. Move the (occupied) boat slightly up onto land first.
Designer�s Note: the artificial intelligence is not pro-grammed to handle assault boats. Therefore, battlesand operations which include assault boats can only beplayed against either a human opponent or against thecomputer with the human playing the side which hasthe boats.
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Smoke and Fire
If there is anything to be found on a WWII battlefield more oftenthan casualties, it is smoke and fire, from burning terrain orvehicles, or from smoke rounds used to cover the attacker�sapproaches or defender�s line of retreat.
SmokeSmoke in varying sizes comes from burning buildings, fields,
woods, vehicles, and smoke rounds from tanks, guns, or artil-lery. Smoke usually completely blocks the line of sight for atleast a little while. Small shells or small burning vehicles (e.g.jeeps) only degrades, not blocks, LOS through it.
Designer�s Note: Infantry smoke grenades, a source ofsmoke commonly found in other WWII games is notavailable in CM: infantry smoke grenades. Our researchshows little credible evidence that this type of smokewas used at the squad level in WWII for anything be-yond signaling purposes.
FireThe chance of a piece of terrain catching fire depends largely on
ground conditions and weather. You will see fewer terrain firesduring rain or with wet or snowy ground. On the other hand,very dry ground increases the chances for fires, and sometimeseven tracer ammunition from an MG can be enough to spark ablaze.
Units located in terrain that catches fire are forced to exit thearea immediately. If for some reason a unit cannot do this (sayit is immobilized), the unit will be destroyed by the fire andany remaining crew will abandon the vehicle/gun immediatelyand run to safety. Units will also refuse to enter burning ter-rain.
Burning terrain and vehicles remain burning for the duration ofa battle. Fires and smoke will cease, and burnt buildings willcollapse to rubble between the battles of an operation.
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End of Game
How a Game EndsThere are several ways a game can end in Combat Mission, and
there are differences between operations and battles.
Turn LimitUsually a game ends when the turn limit (or battle limit foroperations) has been reached.
CeasefireA game can end by mutual agreement of both players. Use theALT-C keyboard command to ask for a Ceasefire. This is donesecretly, i.e. the other player does not know if you have de-cided to opt for a cease-fire, until he does so himself. When hedoes, the game ends immediately with both sides remaining inposition, and victory levels are calculated from there.
During multiplayer games (network or PBEM), both humanplayers can of course communicate with each other and agreeon a ceasefire. But playing against the AI means that aceasefire can only be reached when the AI independentlydecides to do so. However, the AI is intentionally forgiving onthis score, to maximize freedom of play for the human player.Just don�t abuse the privilege!
SurrenderYou can surrender at any time by using the ALT-G keyboardcommand. This will end the game immediately. You will con-cede all of the victory locations on the map to the opponentand your soldiers will be captured. The computer opponent willalso decide to surrender when the situation becomes hopeless.
Auto SurrenderWhen one side�s Global Morale rating is 15% or less, AND theother side�s is at least four times as high, the game will auto-matically end even if the losing side wishes to continue thefight. If BOTH sides� Global Morale is lower than 15% the gamewill also automatically end. Auto Surrender will never happen ifthe losing side still has reinforcements on the way. Suffice it tosay that Auto Surrendering only comes into play when one sidetotally crushed the other.
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Designer�s Note: Rarely did a force ever fight to the lastman, but that is often the way other wargames endtheir battles. This can lead to turn after turn spenthunting down and eliminating the last scraps of theother side�s force, when realistically the battle wouldhave simply ended. Anybody who has played through afew games like this knows EXACTLY why this featurewas put into Combat Mission. There are few things asfrustrating as an opponent with only a mauled squad ortwo running around trying to secure an undefendedVictory Location when it is VERY clear that the battle isover.
Operation SpecificOperations can end for any of the same reasons as battles, butthere are a few additional ones. Automatic endings may hap-pen during Advance or Assault type operations when:
� The end of the map has been reached by the attacker.� The attacker has been pushed back close to his own
starting map edge.
Note: Destroy type operations DO NOT end when a mapedge has been reached. In fact, they can be designed sothat there is no map movement at all, i.e. the battlemap is as big as the operations map.
Exit ZonesIf part of the scenario objective is to exit some or all troops off a
particular map edge, an exit zone marker appears on the 3Dbattlefield at the appropriate map edge. You can exit yourtroops by simply plotting a movement order beyond the mapedge. They will automatically leave the map upon reaching theedge of the map.
Not all units might be eligible for exiting the map for points.You can find out which are by accessing the detailed unitwindow (by hitting ENTER). The phrase "should exit for points"is displayed if the unit is eligible. Exiting such troops yieldsextra points, while failing to do so gains points for the opposingplayer.
Note: You can exit any troops off any map edge at anytime, however you win points only troops that areeligible for exit (other than denying your enemy points
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for eliminating them). Use discretion when movingtroops off the map during an operation, as they will notbe available to you for future battles.
After Action Reports (Battles)After a Battle ends, the After Action Report (AAR) is displayed.
This report is a score card of sorts, designed to show how welleach side did in a simple, easy to understand way. After view-ing the results, you can either VIEW BATTLEFIELD, to see thearea fought over without Fog of War, or click DONE and returnto the main screen.
CasualtiesTotal number of soldiers put out of action. The number of killedsoldiers is given in brackets.
CapturedTotal number of soldiers captured during the course of thebattle, or as a result of Surrender.
Destroyed/Knocked outThe numbers of mortars, guns, knocked-out vehicles, andfortifications are listed by type.
Victory PointsVictory points are awarded for the following:
· Control of victory flags.· Casualties caused to the enemy.· Captured enemy (counts double that of casualties).· Exited units, generally worth 2-3 times the unit�s pur-
chase value (note: units eligible for exit that do not exitscore points for the enemy).
· Any "bonus" set by the scenario designer.
Victory LevelEach side scores points, which generally add up to 100. Theratio determines the victory level displayed below, as follows:
1.25 to 1 = draw 1.75 to 1 = minor victory 2.50 to 1 = tactical victory 5.00 to 1 = major victory> 5.00 to 1 = total victory
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After Action Report (Operations)After each individual battle of an Operation ends, you receive a
summary of your own force, but without revealing any informa-tion about the enemy. Besides displaying friendly casualties,there is a line displaying how many battles in the given opera-tion have been fought and how many more remain. Addition-ally, you will be told how many battles are left before the nextnight battle. Since the success or failure of an Operation isdecided based on your total results, there are no Victory Pointsor Victory Levels awarded for an individual battle.
At the end of an entire operation (when the last battle hasbeen fought, one side has surrendered, or a side�s forces waseliminated), a summary AAR for all the battles of an operationappears. Just like the battle AAR, it lists friendly and enemycasualties, knocked out guns and vehicles and captured sol-diers. No points are awarded, but instead a victory level isdisplayed for the complete operation. How victory levels arecomputed depends on the type of the operation played:
Advance - speed is essential. The faster the attacker reachesthe opposite end of the map (the full operations map, notthe single battle map), the higher the victory level. Casual-ties sustained during the advance count as well, of course,but not as heavily as with other operation types. The gameends automatically when the end of the map has beenreached.
Assault - an assault is, essentially, an Advance operation butagainst stronger defensive forces. The attacker is not ex-pected to reach the opposite end of the map, but insteadmake it only a part of the way within the allocated time(number of battles). How far he is expected to advance ispre-set by the operation�s designer, and can be anywherebetween 20% and 80%. How well the attacker performedduring the game (i.e. how far he progressed) is then com-pared with the expected progress and a victory level isdetermined after considering both sides� casualty figures aswell.
Destroy - only the kill-ratio (attacker casualties vs. defendercasualties) determines the victory level. If the game endswith the attacker above the maximum casualty ratio (asdefined by the operation�s designer), he loses.
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MakingScenarios
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Quick Battle
Quick Battle Scenarios are randomly generated battles followingthe parameters set by the player.
Selecting Battle Options
Type of Force - Infantry, Mechanized, Armor, or CombinedArms. The selected force type has a direct impact on howmany and what types of units the player is allowed to buyfrom each category (see below - PURCHASING UNITS)
Force (composition)Axis: No restriction, Wehrmacht, WG, Fallschirmjäger, Gebirg-
sjäger, Volkssturm.Allies: No restriction, American, American Airborne, British,
British Airborne, Polish, Polish Airborne, Canadian, French.
Quality - Low, Medium, High, or Random. Sets the availabletroop experience ratings. Low quality means that onlyconscripts or green units can be used. At medium, only greenor regular units can be bought. At high, only veteran, crack,or elite units can be bought.
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Purchase Units - Automatic or Allow Human. Automatic has CMdecide the forces for that side while Human Player allowsthe player to choose them.
Battle Type - Assault, Attack, Probe, or Meeting Engagement.This determines the force balancing (how many points thedefender gets, how many the attacker), the map size,whether the defender may have fortifications, as well asvictory flag placement.
Force Size - 500-2000 points. These are the maximum pointsallowed for the DEFENDER.
Map Size - Small, Medium, or Large. The actual map size (inmeters) depends on the selected force size.
Attacker - Axis or Allied. This choice has no effect on meetingengagements.
Handicap - None, Attacker -50% to Attacker +100%. This deter-mines how many extra buying points are added to or sub-tracted from the attacking force, based on the Force Sizeselected above.
Date - June 1944 - May 1945.
Time - Day, Dawn/Dusk, Night, Random
Weather - Clear, overcast, rain, fog, thick fog, snow, Random
Game Length - 20-60 turns.
After setting the general preferences, the random map genera-tor screen appears. It works exactly the same as the auto-generate map function in the scenario editor (see the nextsection, CREATE SCENARIO)
Finally, choose which side you want to play and if you want tostart a single player game, a PBEM game, a hotseat game or agame over the Internet via TCP/IP.
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Purchasing UnitsIf you let the computer select your forces, you will be brought
directly to the 3D battlefield. If, however, you chose to "buy"your own units, you will see the Unit Purchase screen appear.Some special restrictions are detailed below. See the nextsection on the Editor for more details about using this screen.
Depending on what type of force mix you designated in theQuick Battle setup screen, you are allowed to spend only alimited amount of points for each unit type. If your force mixwas set to INFANTRY, you are only allowed to buy units from theinfantry slot, as well as possibly some support weapons, artil-lery and/or fortifications. No vehicles are allowed. If, however,you chose an ARMORED force mix, you are allowed to spendmuch less on infantry, but can spend points on tanks andvehicles. A MECHANIZED force contains mostly infantry, supportelements and vehicles other than tanks. Lastly, COMBINED ARMSallows you to buy units from all combat arms.
How many points you are allowed to spend and how many youhave already spent is shown in the two lines under the forcetype selection buttons labeled "spent" and "allowed". If youhave chosen more units of a type than you are allowed, thenumber in the appropriate column turns red and you mustchange your selection before you click the OK button to pro-ceed. You do not have to use all your points, but any unusedpoints are lost.
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Create Scenario
All the Battles and Operations that came with Combat Mission CD-ROM were made with the same exact Scenario Editor detailedhere. It is very powerful, flexible, and easy to use. Althoughthere is no reason why you should ever have to make your ownscenarios (Quick Battles and scenarios made by others assuresthis!) you will probably want to play around with the ScenarioEditor just for fun at the very least.
Basic Features
New Battle - Start creating a new battle scenario.
New Operation - Start creating a new operation.
Load - Load a battle or operation to edit.
Save - Save the current battle/operation to hard disk.
Parameters - Sets the battle/operation time, date, weather,type and more.
Map - Allows you to create and edit the map, as well as setupthe default positions for the units.
Units - Select the opposing forces.
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Load Briefings - Allows you to load in three text files whichwill be displayed as briefings to the player.
Tournament Save - This special option allows you to save ascenario in tournament mode. This means that it cannot beopened in the editor anymore, thereby preventing futureopponents from "spying" on the enemy or changing the setup.Note that scenarios which have been "tournament saved"cannot be opened and changed at all. You probably want tosave such a scenario normally (and separately) before savingit in tournament mode so you can edit it later.
Exit - Exit the editor and go back to main screen. Do not forgetto save any changes before exiting!
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Parameters
Although quite similar, the Parameters screen is different forBattles and Operations. Probably the most important setting(for both) is the Date, since it determines the unit types whichare available as well as the weather. If you should ever wonderwhy you can�t find a particular unit in the Purchase screen,check out the Date setting. Units that were not historicallyavailable before/after the current Date are not displayed.
Battle ParametersDate - Select the month and year. June 1944 until May 1945 is
available.Time - Day, Dusk/Dawn, Night.
Weather - Clear, Overcast, Rain, Fog, Thick fog, Snow.
Ground Condition - Very dry, dry, damp, wet, mud, deep mud,light snow, snow, heavy snow.
Game Length - 2-120 turns are possible.
Type - Allied Attacker, Axis Attacker or Meeting Engagement.
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Map Edges Friendly To - All four directions can be toggled toAxis, Allied, or Neutral.
Map Edge for Exit Points - If the goal for one side is to fightthrough and exit the map, the map edge eligible for exit isset here.
Flag Type - There are two flag types - large and small. Theseidentify primary and secondary objectives for both sides.Controlling these flags at game end (by having a superiorforce and no significant enemy presence in their vicinity)awards the side that controls them the appropriate numberof points (100 for small, 300 for large flags).
Additionally, flags can be static (all flags are valid victoryobjectives) or dynamic. There are two options for dynamicflags:
� the attacker chooses one flag to be the valid one.� the one valid flag is determined randomly
Regardless of how it is chosen (randomly or by the attacker),only that ONE flag is eligible for awarding victory points andthe defender does NOT know which flag is the valid one.Note that in Meeting Engagements all flags must be static.
Axis Bonus - Can be positive or negative. Used mainly forunbalanced historical battles where one side is superior tothe other. The inferior side is awarded this many points toallow it to "win" when it achieves greater success thanexpected, given the situation.
Map Contours - Can be 2.5m or 5m per elevation change.
Defending Vehicles - Can or cannot dig in during the SetupPhase. Note that vehicles which are dug in will not be able tomove at all for the entire Battle.
Fanaticism - Same choice for Axis and/or Allies: 20% or 50%chance for troops of regular or better experience OR 20% or50% chance for all troops regardless of experience level. Thisdetermines the percentage chance that the selected type oftroops will be fanatic, i.e. never panic and rarely surrender.Neither player knows beforehand which of their troops willbe fanatic.
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Brief Description - Enter a brief description about the scenarioyou�re creating. This is displayed in the Load Game Windowas a quick reference for players.
Operation Parameters
Date - Select the month and year. Dates between June 1944until May 1945 are available.
Operation Type - This is the most important setting for anOperation. It defines, in no small way, how the Operationwill play out. It might take a few tries to understand thesubtleties of these options, but the more you think abouthistorical examples the better your Operations will be.
Advance - the attacker is expected to march all the way tothe end of the operations map BEFORE the operation offi-cially ends and will be judged on speed. If he reaches theend of the map before the last battle, the game automati-cally ends.
Assault - resistance is heavier and the attacker is expectedto make it only partway (the percentage value) to the other
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end of the operations map by the end of the operation.Alternately, he may push beyond that but be counterat-tacked if the enemy gets big reinforcements at some point(designer�s discretion). If the attacker reaches the end of themap before the last battle, the game automatically ends.
Destroy - points are awarded for destroying the enemy, notachieving territorial objectives. The attacker is judged basedon the pre-set attacker-defender casualty ratio. In otherwords the attacker loses if the ratio is worse than the pre-setone. The game will NOT end if the end of the map isreached. In fact, you can make a non-moving map usingdestroy type operations, i.e. the battle map can be the samesize as the entire operation�s map.
Weather Pattern - Good, Mixed or Bad. Combat Mission semi-randomly assigns the weather conditions for each battle in ascenario based on this setting.
Ground Condition - Very Dry, Dry, Damp, Wet, Mud, Deep Mud,Light Snow, Snow, Heavy Snow. Depending on the weather,the ground conditions might change between battles. Afterseveral fights in rain, you can expect to see the groundslowly turn from dry to damp, then wet and finally mud.Similarly, continuous snowfall will turn the ground from lightsnow, to medium and finally heavy snow.
Operation Length - 1-20 battles. 10 battles is generally anappropriate length.
Attacker - Allied or Axis
Night Falls - No night, or every other to every tenth battle.Example: a ten battle operation with night on every fifthbattle would simulate two days of combat. A ten battleoperation with "no night" would simulate fighting ten engage-ments on the same day.
Each Battle Lasts - 10 to 30 turns (minutes)
Attacker Comes From - North, south, east, or west. Thisdefines the direction in which the operation map moves.
Battle Window Size - 1200m to 1600m. Determines how largethe map is per battle.
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Map Contours - 2.5m to 5m per elevation change. This deter-mines the overall degree of �hilliness� of your map.
Opening Battle Time Slot - Can be anything between 1st to10th. 1st is the default setting and means that the operationwill open with the first battle conducted during dawn. If youchoose a subsequent setting, the battle will open at the timeof day specified for that slot. For example, if an operation isset to Night on every fifth battle, and the opening battletime slot is set to five, the operation will start with the firstengagement played during the night.
May Initiate Night Combat - Axis/Allies, yes or no.
Supply - Ample, Full, Adequate, Limited, Scarce, Severe -determines the amount of ammo replenished betweenbattles.
Vehicle Recovery & Repair - Excellent, Good, Average, Poor,None per side. Determines the chance that an abandonedvehicle can be recovered, repaired, and returned to thegame after a few battles.
Fanaticism - Same choice for Axis and/or Allies: 20% or 50%chance for troops with regular or better experience level OR20% or 50% chance for all troops regardless of experiencelevel. Shows a percentage chance that the selected type oftroops will be fanatic, i.e. never panic and rarely surrender.Neither of the players know beforehand which of their troopswill be fanatic.
Brief Description - Enter a brief description about the opera-tion you�re creating. It is displayed in the Load Game Win-dow as a quick reference for players.
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CREATING A MAP
You can make your own maps, have the computer generate onefor you, or do a combination of both. The procedure to makemaps is basically the same for battles and operations, with apossible exception. An operation map is usually bigger, but onlya certain portion of it is played on per battle (although opera-tions that play solely on one map are possible). Setup zones canbe changed for operations, but the default outlines should beused as a guideline.
Basic Interface
Go Back - Moves you back to the Editor main screen.
Preview - Lets you preview the map in 3D mode. This is whereyou place units in default positions as well as double checkyour map. Double checking is important because the 2Deditor map does not give any indication of LOS, which is animportant part of designing a map. Also, imperfections arevery easy to spot once you "fly" around in 3D.
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Hint: When you save a scenario to disk, the last cameraposition you used is saved as well, and becomes the"opening shot" of the 3D battlefield. This is true forboth sides - use the "\" hotkey to set the camera toAllied or Axis view. Both views are saved separately.This way you can determine what the Allied and Axisplayer will see when they first enter the battlefield.
Show Height - Shows the height information on every tile. Thedefault elevation level is 7 and no number is shown on themap tiles for that value. Possible elevations range from 0 to19. Each elevation represents a height difference of 2.5 or 5meters, depending on the parameters set for that map.
Terrain Mode - Lets you place terrain tiles. Each tile repre-sents an area of 20 by 20 meters. Click on a terrain tile onthe left hand palette to select it, then left click anywhere onthe map grid to place it. You can also Shift-left click to placea "square" of 5 by 5 tiles which is good for filling in largeareas quickly.
By keeping the left mouse button pressed, you can simply"paint" a map. Doing this places the selected tile whereveryou move the mouse.
In order to place "landmarks" (a short text describing terrainfeatures, objectives, and historical areas, visible on the 3Dmap), you have to use CTRL-left click. This will open a newwindow in which you can enter the text for the landmark.Landmarks are denoted by a small yellow triangle within thetile they have been placed into. You can remove landmarksby CTRL-clicking on a tile with a yellow triangle and erasingthe entered text description.
Elevation Mode - Allows you to adjust the elevation of eachtile. Use the + and - keys to adjust the "current" elevationthat each subsequent click on the map will set. Again, shift-left click allows you to fill an area of 5 by 5 tiles. You canalso "paint" elevations just like terrain tiles.
Zone Mode - Allows you to define setup zones for both sides.Each side has three (color-coded) setup zones. There are norestrictions on how many tiles a setup zone has to consist of,nor do the setup zone tiles have to be adjacent to each
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other. Units can be moved only between setup zones of thesame color. There is also a neutral setup zone (gray). UnitsCAN be placed in the neutral setup zone, and consequentlycannot be repositioned during the setup turn in a battle(exception: Target Reference Points).
Shift-left click and "painting" work for zones just like forplacing tiles.
Width, Height - Sets the size of the map. Maximum area for aBattle map is 5 square kilometers (e.g. 2000m x 2500m) butneither dimension may exceed 4000m. An Operation mapmay be 5000m along the axis of advance, and 3000m across.We recommend smaller maps, however.
You can adjust the size of your map at any time and from allfour directions. In order to extend/cut the map from thenorth/east, simply click on the Height/Width buttons. If youhold SHIFT and click on those buttons, the map is cut/extended from west/south.
Wind Rose (Compass) - "Scrolls" the map grid up, down, left orright. Useful for maps larger than the map grid displaywindow.
Down Arrow, Up Arrow - Lets you access the remaining partsof the terrain tiles "palette".
Terrain Panel - Select a piece of terrain to place by left-clicking on it. Terrain is organized by type and once clickedon its name is displayed next to the Arrow buttons.
Map Panel - Left-click anywhere on the big green area and thecurrent piece of terrain is placed. Note that there can beonly one piece of terrain occupying one square at one timeso you can not put a building on top of woods on top of aroad. The last terrain placed is the one that is used byCombat Mission.
Hold down the SHIFT key when clicking on the map and a 5x5block of terrain is placed instead of a single piece. There isno Undo, so use this feature carefully or you might wipe outlarge sections of your map by accident!
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AUTO-GENERATE MAP
The auto-map function of the editor allows you to quickly gener-ate a random map in with a few easy steps. You are able to seta number of preferences which determine how the map willlook. The options you have are:
Map TypeTown - Creates a town the size of several blocks with surround-
ing suburbs.Village - Creates a village near the center of the map, sur-
rounded by fields and farms.Farmland - Creates a number of scattered farms and small
hamlets surrounded by fields.Rural - Creates mainly unpopulated terrain with a only a few
scattered farms.
Tree CoverageOpen - Very few scattered trees.Light - Mostly scattered trees and very few woods.Modest - Some woods and a few tall pines.Heavy - Most of the map is covered by woods, tall pines and
scattered trees.
HillinessFlat - Not more than one or two height levels.Gentle - A few small elevations, rarely more than two or three
height levels difference.Small Hills - Usually one or two distinct hills surrounded by
largely flat ground.Modest Hills - Several hills on map with elevation differences
of ten meters and more.Large Hills - Several large hills on map with elevation differ-
ences of at least 20 meters.
Using these three options together with the preferences fora scenario, it is possible to randomly generate almost anyterrain historically fought over within the North West Euro-pean Theater of Operations. The Hürtgenwald battles couldbe easily recreated by using "rural", "heavy trees", and "large"or "modest hills" settings. Fighting on the plains south of theBritish invasion beacheads could be represented by a "farm-land, light trees, flat" random map. Feel free to experiment.
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HOW TO MAKE A MAP
Random maps are nice, but there will come a time when youwant to recreate a specific battle or location (how about yourown hometown?) and make your own. Making a good map (onethat is challenging and offers tactical problems, but at thesame time looks realistic) is simple once you learn to follow afew easy principles. Following are a few hints for how toimprove your maps for Combat Mission:
Elevations or Terrain First?What to do first, elevations or terrain? Good question. In the end
it will depend on personal preference, but over the course ofmaking maps to be shipped with the game, starting with eleva-tions seemed to work best for us. The reason might be that ifyou start by placing terrain tiles first, you still have to keeppossible elevation lines in mind ("I want to make a wooded hillover here"). It might be better to get that done first and havethe mind clear.
OK, so it�s elevations...
Combat Mission provides 20 different elevation levels. Not onlythat, the elevation height can be either 2.5m or 5m per level,allowing for height differences of up to 100m on a single map!However, only one elevation height is allowed per map (in factit is set in the parameters screen). Since 2.5m elevationheights make a much smoother map (and still allow heightdifferences of up to 50m), they should not be used unless it isreally necessary to show fighting in the mountains or acrossextremely rugged terrain.
Elevations in historical scenarios should follow the actualtopographic lines from the area. Many battle descriptions offeraccurate small scale maps of the areas fought over, and if not -the National Geographic Institutes in Europe sell 1:25000 scalemaps which can be used to get this information.
In non-historical scenarios, elevation lines should be set whilekeeping a natural look AND tactical challenge in mind. Endlessvariations are possible, a ridge splitting both flanks, or wideflat open ground ("tank country"). Steep cliffs blocking the
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advance are possible, too, by skipping one or more elevationlevels and connecting, say, level 10 with level 3.
CM�s 3D engine and maps are unique and might take a few triesto get used to. Especially players used to the "flat" worlds ofother 2D wargames will have to overcome the habit of design-ing completely flat "pool table" maps with a bunch of hillssticking out.
CM offers the ability to accurately model the sloped landscapeof Europe, with soft rolling hills, sharp river valleys and more.Be sure to use this feature. A natural landscape is going toreward the players with a rich and "real" gaming experienceand literally introduce another dimension into tactical thinking.Except for some completely flat plains in Holland, most ofEurope is "sloped"!
Combat Mission automatically connects all elevations andcreates realistic slopes (rounding off the edges, for example).However, the tiles used on CMs map are square, and you willusually encounter no problems when running roads or riversstraight north-south and west-east. However, when running NW-SE or NE-SW, small "problems" might occur on the edges of thetiles because part of the road or river will be elevated towardsthe slope. In the case of rivers it simply looks sub-optimal(rivers really should be flat), but in the case of roads it mighthave severe impact on the game, since vehicles follow theground contours and will be forced to dip to the side whengoing down such a road. The problem can be avoided by simplylowering the problematic tiles to the same elevation height asthe road/river. Please also note that the problem is mostvisible when using steep elevation changes.
In general, simply have another look at the map once it isfinished and try to pinpoint "rough" edges.
...and then it�s the terrain...
Placing terrain is easy. Simply select one of the terrain tilesfrom the left, move the mouse over the "tile" you want to putthe terrain into, and left-click once. If you want to re-use thesame terrain in another spot (e.g. when running a straight roador tree line), simply click somewhere else or keep the leftmouse button down to draw a continuous line. "Filling" largerblocks of terrain is also possible. By pressing the Shift-key and
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left-clicking at the same time, the selected terrain will befilled into a 5x5 square of tiles with the mouse in the center.
So much for the technique. Making "good" and natural lookingmaps is much more challenging and requires some thought.Why is this road here? There are fields, so where is the farmerliving? Hey, shouldn�t that river flow DOWN instead of DOWNand UP? What is that lake doing on a SLOPE? These are just afew of the questions the player should keep in mind whileplotting terrain for a map. "Logical" maps reward the playerswith a more real gaming experience and can turn an otherwisegood scenario into an unforgettable challenge.
Whatever you do, keep in mind the tactical challenges providedby a map. Woods breaking the line of sight to the left, wideopen fields to the right, a river valley coming in from the side -all these features add to the tactical and strategic choices thatthe players will have to face and will make the scenario morefun to play.
It�s also important not to get lazy. Not only are big areas ofuniform terrain unrealistic (Europe isn�t really big enough tohave kilometers after kilometers of fields or woods), but theyquickly become boring to play on and are also less appealing tothe eye. Attention to detail will, more often than not, makethe difference between a playable map and an excellent one. Asmall farmhouse here, an orchard there, a hedge or stone wallseparating these two fields sometimes all that is necessary toenhance a map.
Using trees helps avoid the problem of creating big emptyspaces. You find trees everywhere in Europe like road junc-tions, in the open fields, besides houses, and on river banks.You cannot overuse trees. Not only do they spice up lines ofsight and give the attacker something to hide behind, they alsomake the map look vivid and less sterile.
Below you will find some additional tips for creating realistic,challenging maps. Check them out when you have time.
Further Tips for Map Design
� It�s a good idea to have rivers/ponds/lakes on lower eleva-tions than the surrounding terrain, as it looks more real andgives the map a certain visual depth.
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� Bridges in CM span two elevation levels above the terrainbelow. Tall bridges in CM span FOUR elevation levels above.Keep this in mind when planning to do bridges in a scenario -it might save you a lot of re-working later.
� The Normandy hedgerows (bocage) never encloses a spacecompletely. This is important, because nothing exceptinfantry and Allied tanks can cross hedgerows, thus otherunit types can easily be trapped within such a field. It makessense, therefore, to provide openings in the hedgerows byusing one tile of open ground or brush or scattered trees (notwoods - woods are not passable for vehicles either) as theexit point. This simulates very well the narrow paths thatfrench farmers used to access their fields and provides avisual "break" (keep in mind that the real bocage hedgerowsinclude trees and brush alike).
� Towns and villages in Europe are usually very old (some athousand years old and even more), and have grown steadilyover the years. This is reflected in the way they are built, sodo not expect many square house blocks with all the roadsmeeting at 90 degree angles and all the houses in neat rows.Instead, the typical town or village is a "messy" place, withcurved roads, awkward crossings and T-junctions, and housesof different shapes and sizes strewn everywhere. On theother hand, a typical small village often has only one roadrunning through its center with houses built at irregularintervals on both sides.
� Don�t forget that houses are rarely "naked", i.e. surroundedsimply by open ground. Use stone walls, hedges, brush andscattered trees or even rough terrain to simulate gardensand yards and everything else typically found around farm-and townhouses. Such a village or town will also look muchless sterile in the game.
� Roads are just that - roads. Do not use roads to simulate dirtpaths or muddy tracks or driveways towards a house unless itcan really be considered wide enough to be a road. Openground serves well to simulate these small paths, and a rowof scattered trees within a forest of "woods" tiles can be usedto simulate tracks.
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� Do not use too many paved roads. There were not that manypaved roads in 1944-1945, the exception being cities andmain highways.
� Most (not all, but most) roads in Europe running through thecountryside have some sort of vegetation on both sides, be ittrees or brush or hedges. The reason is that such roads havebeen and still are used as windbreakers for farmland.
� Ditches on the side of a road are often very shallow. Sincesuch ditches usually do not provide enough cover for a wholeinfantry squad, there is nothing wrong with simply leavingthem out and using flat open ground. Alternatively, scatteredtrees and brush can simulate the cover gained by suchditches. Use lower elevations only when deep ditches provid-ing complete concealment are what you want. Keep in mindthat since the elevation information is tied to a tile, suchditches will be a minimum of 20 m wide.
With a bit of practice you will soon be able to admire your ownCM landscape - and then destroy it!
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CHOOSING UNITS
All units are chosen and edited using the unit Purchase screen.There are two main panels which display the Available Units(left) and units Selected Units (right). Units can be removedfrom the purchased side by highlighting and clicking on theDelete button at the bottom of the screen. The rest of thissection details how to make purchases.
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Basic PropertiesArmy - Determines if you are selecting Allied or Axis forces. By
default the screen starts out with the Axis selected.
Force - Each Army can choose from a variety of units Each choicerestricts what specific units can be purchased according tohistorical organizations:
Five nationalities are available for the Allies:American, British, Polish, Canadian, and Free French
American, British and Polish forces can additionally selectbetween line troops and airborne troops.
The Axis player always selects from German forces, but has fivedifferent troop types available:
Heer (regular army), Waffen Grenadier (paramilitary),Fallschirmjäger (Airborne), Gebirgsjäger (mountaintroops), and Volkssturm (people�s army)
Experience - Determines how skilled the purchased units will be.The less experienced, the less they cost. The choices are:
Conscript, Green, Regular, Veteran, Crack, and Elite
Location - Allows you to toggle between units on map and thefive reinforcement slots. When you select units from theavailable units window, they are added to the currently se-lected slot. In other words, there can be up to six different unitlists in the "selected units window", one for each reinforcementslot and one for on-map units (see PLANNING REINFORCEMENTSfor more info)
OK - accepts any changes made in this section and brings youback to the Editor main screen.
Unit TypesThe menu bar allows you to access the list of available units for
the various unit types. These are:
Infantry - anything from standard rifle infantry formations toengineers, pioneers, and various other formations.
Support - heavy weapons like mortars, machineguns, and on-
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map artillery. Other team weapons, like flamethrowers andsharpshooters, are also available here.
Vehicles - support and transport vehicles like halftracks,trucks, and some self-propelled artillery.
Armor - tanks and tank destroyers, as well as assault guns.Artillery - off-map artillery, represented as spotters in the
game. Also fighter-bombers for close air support.Fortifications - bunkers and pillboxes as well as wire, road-
blocks and mines.
Available Units PanelSelect your units/formations here. Which units/formations areavailable depends on the choice of calendar date made in thePARAMETERS section of the editor (certain vehicles are onlyavailable later in the war and even infantry formations changedover the course of the last one and a half years of the war).
By moving the cursor over a unit, some basic data is displayedat the bottom of the window.
Selected Units PanelBy clicking on a unit/formation in the Available Units Window(on the left side of the screen), the selected unit/formationappears in the Selected Units Window (on the right hand side).It is also automatically placed on a friendly map edge on the 3Dmap (not currently visible).
Clicking on a unit/formation in the Selected Units Window (onthe right hand side) highlights the choice, and two buttonsappear at the bottom: EDIT and DELETE.
Delete - erases the unit from the Selected Units Window.Deleting a formation HQ, erases the complete formation. Youcan, however, also delete single teams/squads/vehicles.
Edit - allows you to edit a particular unit/team/squad/vehicle.
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Editing Units
Although certainly not mandatory, Combat Mission allows eachindividual unit to be customized to some extent. None of thechanges allowed make fundamental changes to the unit�sinherent qualities (for example, you can�t give a Panther an88mm gun, or a squad all light machineguns). Below is a pictureof a Head Quarters� edit screen to give you an idea about whatkinds of changes are possible:
Cancel - Negates any changes made in this window.
OK - Exits back to the unit Purchase screen and rememberschanges made in this window. You have to save the scenariobefore these changes become truly saved.
Unit Type - In the upper left corner is the type of unit currentlybeing edited.
Ammunition - Lets you select which and how much ammo isavailable for the particular unit. Which ammo types are avail-able depends on the unit type. Infantry can have small armsammo, demolition charges, bazooka/Panzerfaust/Panzer-schreck ammo (handgrenades are not tracked and are auto-matically available). Vehicles/guns can have HE, AP, SMOKE,HOLLOW CHARGE and TUNGSTEN ammo.
Experience - You can adjust the experience level of each unit.This allows you, for example, to make the leader of a platoonVeteran and keep the squads at Regular, to simulate an excep-tional platoon commander. Unit Value is adjusted if changed.
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Name - Sometimes a particular unit needs to have a specificname. This is allowed, but the rank of the leader can not bechanged. A platoon leader will always be a Lieutenant, aCompany Leader always a Captain, a Battalion leader always aMajor (or the appropriate ranks for other nationalities).
Leadership - HQ units, and only HQ units, can have bonus Leader-ship abilities customized. You can of course leave them "as is",thereby keeping the random ones assigned by default. Thedifferent choices are:
Command - determines the command radius of the HQ unit.Combat - increases the fighting abilities of units under its
command (i.e. to-hit chance, firepower)Rally - lowers the chance of a unit panicking or routing under
its command.Stealth - increases the chance of remaining unspotted while
hiding.
Possible ratings are 0 (normal), +1 (very good) and +2 (excep-tional).
Exit Points - units eligible to receive exit points yield extrapoints for the player if they leave the battlefield off the mapedge pre-set in the PARAMETERS section.
Note: units eligible for exit score points for the ENEMY ifNOT exited before game end.
Suppression - Determines if the unit starts the game on the mapunsuppressed, cautious, shaken, pinned or panicked.
Fatigue - Determines if the unit starts the game on the maprested, ready, tired, weary or exhausted.
Special Weapons - Units that are allowed to carry extra weapons,like satchel charges or Panzerfausts, can have more or lessallocated to them depending on the unit type.
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PLANNING REINFORCEMENTS
There are five reinforcement slots for each side. Each reinforce-ment slot looks just like the "selected units window", butcontains some extra options at the bottom which allow thescenario designer to determine when the reinforcements aregoing to appear in the game.
First Possible ArrivalFor battles, this number represents the first turn in which theunits in the "selected units window" might appear. For opera-tions, this number represents the first BATTLE in which theunits can enter (during the Setup Phase).
ChanceThis percentage gives the chance that the units will indeedenter on a given turn (or battle for operations). The lowestpossible setting is 1%. If set to 100%, the units will alwaysarrive on the turn of first possible arrival.Example: A unit is set for a "first possible arrival" of turn 4,with a "chance" of 30%. This means it will never arrive on turns1-3. It has a 30% chance to arrive on turn 4. If it does not arriveon turn 4, it then has a 30% chance to arrive on turn 5, andagain 30% on every turn thereafter, until it does indeed arrive.
Note: the "chance" is the likelihood of arrival per turn (orbattle, in the case of operations) not an overall chanceof arriving.
Reserves (operations only)For operations only, there is an extra reinforcement option:reserves. Instead of assigning reinforcements for a scheduledarrival (from battle #X on, with Y% chance), you can also granta side a reserves pool, which the AI will allocate automaticallydepending on how the player is doing.
There are three reserve pools - Battalion, Regimental andDivisional. If things start going wrong, the AI will release theBattalion reserves first, then the Regimental reserves andfinally (and only when things start really hitting the fan) thedivisional one. The player has no influence on when this willbe; his fate - as often in war - depends on his higher ups andhow they view the situation at hand.
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LOAD BRIEFINGS
Every scenario you make should have three "briefings" whichinform the players what it is they are supposed to do. There isno one right way to do this, but following the format of theincluded scenarios will help ensure that you have all the neces-sary information included in your Briefings.
Create three different text files in any word processor, eachone to do the following:
Text File 1 - General Briefing, viewable by both sidesText File 2 - Axis Briefing, viewable by Axis playerText File 3 - Allied Briefing, viewable by Allied player
These files MUST be in text format for Combat Mission tounderstand them. The names of the files are not important, aslong as the text is saved as regular .txt files.
Clicking on "OK" brings up a Load dialog that asks for the threefiles, one after the other. When done the text becomes incor-porated into the scenario as the three scenario briefings.Clicking on "Cancel" brings you back to the Editor main screenwithout having to select briefing texts.
If you want to make changes to your briefing texts at a latertime, simply edit them in your preferred text editor, but youwill have to go through this menu again to update them for thescenario.
There is a "hidden" feature that allows you to output the textfrom an already compiled scenario. This is great if you lost youroriginals or wish to use someone else�s text as a basis formaking your own descriptions. To do this simply hold down theSHIFT and CONTROL keys when you click on the "Load Briefings"button in the Editor�s main screen.
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The Tutorial
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TUTORIAL
This tutorial is intended to offer the beginner (especially theimpatient one) a quick way to get into the thick of things -combat! You will learn how to start a game quickly, use thebasic game mechanics and even pick up a thing or two abouttactics and how to win.
Getting StartedThe first thing you see when you start up Combat Mission: Beyond
Overlord is the main game screen. It contains several buttons,but the only one you�re interested in for now is PLAY GAME.Left-click on the button. When the Load Game screen appearslocate the scenario called "Tutorial", select it (left-click), andthen click on the PLAY SCENARIO button on the lower right ofthe screen - or simply double-click on the scenario name.
The next thing you see is the general scenario briefing. Here iswhere you get a general description of the battle you�re aboutto play. The general briefings in the game are intended to givethe player a feel for what to expect, without giving too muchaway, so that "fog of war" can be preserved.
After reading the briefing (you can scroll up and down using thearrows on the right), click on DONE.
Now select the side you want to play. For this tutorial, pleaseselect ALLIES. In the tutorial scenario, this means that you willcommand an American task force - other allied nations in-cluded in CM are British, Canadian, Polish, and French forces.
The next choice you need to make is how you want to play thegame. Several options are available, including Hotseat andPBEM, left-click on SINGLE PLAYER for now, meaning that youwill play one side and the computer player ("artificial intelli-gence" - AI) will control the enemy. You should leave the othersettings with their default values selected.
This brings you to the detailed briefing for the side you havechosen. Read carefully - you will learn what your exact missionis in the game, what forces you have available to accomplish it,and perhaps even a little intel about the enemy you�re expect-ing to meet (and hopefully defeat). However, keep in mind thatnot all of the info is necessarily true - it is up to the scenario
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designer how much information he wants to release to theplayer, and sometimes you might even find purposely mislead-ing information: promised reinforcements which do not arrive,wrong intel about the enemy, and so on. Feel free to takenotes, but you do not need to memorize everything - thedetailed briefing can be accessed from within the game at anytime, by using the ALT-B hotkey combination.
The tutorial scenario is a "meeting engagement", i.e. neitherforce controls the victory locations on the map, but insteadeach has to move from its map edge towards the middle of themap to gain control over them. Combat Mission offers otherscenario objective types, from assaults on heavily fortifieddefensive positions to advance-type operations against weaklyheld hasty defense lines.
When you�ve finished reading, click on DONE.
Discovering the BattlefieldCongratulations, you made it onto the 3D battlefield of Combat
Mission! This is where the battles are fought, victory or defeatdecided, heroic actions and costly sacrifices performed. Themap and scenario editor of Combat Mission will allow you togenerate your own maps, historical or hypothetical, just as youlike. But let us concentrate on this one battle for now!
You enter the battlefield first during the SETUP PHASE, and arenow able to scout out the map, deploy your forces, and estab-lish a plan of how you want to defeat your opponent.
The battlefield screen is divided into the battlefield map at thetop (which takes up most of the screen) and the main gameinterface, located at the bottom of the screen. This interfacedisplays a lot of vital information to the player throughout agame - the name of the scenario, the type of battle ("meetingengagement" in this case), the participating nations (US andGermans) and their role (both attacking, since it�s a meeting
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engagement), the length of the battle and the current turn, theweather, time and date. You also find two dynamic values inthis window - the Global Morale and the estimated victory levelfor each side. The Global Morale depends on the casualtiestaken by each side and has a direct influence on the willingnessof your troops to fight rather than run away. The victory level isa mere estimate, intended to give the player an idea abouthow well (or badly) he is doing. The estimate is based on factsyou know (enemies spotted, confirmed casualties etc.) and isjust that - an estimate, to be taken with a grain of salt at best.
In the main game interface, you will also find a button labeledHOTKEYS. Left-click on this: a list of all the available hotkeycommands appears. You will find another version of this at theend of the manual, complete with brief descriptions of theireffects in the game. For now, let�s just grab two as example:hold down the SHIFT key and press T. This toggles the display oftrees on the map from NONE to MEDIUM to FULL. It�s a goodway to access your units if they�re within woods and is usefulfor slower machines as fewer trees speed up the game consid-erably. Another thing you might want to try is SHIFT-C. Thisenlarges the graphical unit size from "realistic" up to "+4" and isespecially useful if you want to issue orders to distant unitswithout moving your viewpoint. It�s just a graphical tool andhas no impact on game physics.
On the right hand side of the interface you will find the navi-gating buttons, which move your viewpoint around the map.
The battlefield map of Combat Mission is three-dimensional,and you can move your viewpoint (the "camera"), in any direc-tion, even up and down. There are several ways to navigate onthe battlefield, but one of the easiest is by using the arrowbuttons on the main game interface. For other viewpointnavigation methods (like how to zoom or adjust the cameraangle up and down) read the GETTING TO KNOW THE FIELDsection of the game manual.
Try moving around the map now. Make sure to try out thedifferent view levels, from the "bird�s eye view" (level 8) all theway down to the "trench cam" at ground level (level 1). You canuse the UP and DOWN buttons on the main game interface orsimply press the 1 through 8 keys on your keyboard. While thehigher view levels are good to get an overview of the map anda feel for the battle in progress, the lower views are excellent
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for close-up action playbacks and fine plotting of moves, linesof sight etc. The view level you use the most depends on yourpersonal style of play.
Take a good look at the terrain features displayed - such aswoods, grain fields, buildings and villages, roads and even abridge across a small river. More about that later.
Identifying Your MissionIn order to orient yourself on the battlefield, rotate the camera
until you spot a black windrose with a big N above it slightlybeyond the edge of the map. This map edge is NORTH. Your USforces are coming from the west, while the Germans aresomewhere to the east.
Have a look at roughly the middle of the map. You will find a T-junction of two paved roads there, and a big grey flag with an"?" in the middle. This is the victory flag, showing the locationyou are about to fight over. The "?" indicates that the "owner"of the flag is unknown. Since this is a "meeting engagement"scenario, the flag is most likely not under German control(yet), but in other scenarios it could simply mean that althoughthe Germans are in the area, you simply have not spotted anyof them yet and cannot verify that they are, or are not, incontrol of the flag.
Unlike other games, your mission is not to put one of your unitsright on top of that flag to gain control over it. Instead, eachflag has a certain control radius around it, and your mission isto move as strong a force into that area as possible and - justas important - stay there. Needless to say, the enemy is goingto try to do the same. Important: The flag will NOT stay underyour control when you move your force away - once your menare gone, you will not be able to make sure that the enemy hasnot moved in, and therefore the flag will convert to "?" immedi-ately. You will only gain victory points for flags which are underyour control at the end of the game.
Move towards the western edge of the map now. You should seea three sets of dotted colored lines (two red and one white)surrounding rectangular areas. These are your (the US) setupzones. While the number of setup zones for each side is notlimited (you could have, for example, ten red setup zones ormore), there are only three colors for each side. This is impor-tant, because during the Setup Phase you are allowed to move
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your units freely only within the same zone colors, e.g. youcannot move a unit from a red zone into a white zone. A unitbelongs in the zone which matches the base color of the unit.
Additionally, some units may be "padlocked" from the start, i.e.they cannot be moved at all during the Setup Phase. These"padlocked" units are recognizable by an orange base color.Units can also be set up outside of such zones in the "neutral"area (to simulate advance elements for example). Such unitshave a grey zone color and cannot be moved at all.
Becoming Familiar with Your UnitsLet�s have a look at the US troops available for the tutorial. There
are several ways to access your units. You can simply left-clickon them. Try it now - left-click on one of the Sherman tanksstanding on the paved road.
You will notice that a yellow frame appears around the se-lected unit. At the same time, the main game interface isreplaced with the unit info window, which reveals importantinformation about the selected unit. Besides the name and typeof the unit, you can see the manpower, the ammo and experi-ence, where the unit is located, etc. When the game is under-way, you will also be able to see casualties, morale, the sup-pression status and current activity for each unit here. For adetailed description of this window, please look up the UNITSsection of the manual.
If you wish more detailed information about the selected unit,you can also hit the ENTER key. A detailed unit info window willpop up, showing even more detailed stats - available weapons,weapon data and much more. Go to the DETAILED UNIT INFOsection for more.
Learning How to Issue OrdersAfter having selected a unit, you can now access its orders menu.
Simply hit the SPACE BAR, and it will appear on the screen.Alternatively, you can right-click on a unit to select it and bringup its orders menu simultaneously.
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Since you are still in the Setup Phase, the order menu containsonly a few orders, used mainly to redeploy your units withintheir setup zones. When the game starts, additional orders fortargeting, different modes of moving, etc., will become avail-able.
Besides each order, you will notice a letter. This is the hotkeycommand, which you can use to issue an order without havingto call up the order menu.
All right, let�s move around a few of the units. Select thePLACE order for the Sherman tank you have chosen by left-clicking on the order menu, or alternatively by pressing the Pkey. You will notice a blue line extending from the selectedunit towards the mouse cursor. This line will follow your cursorwherever you move it. Point the cursor anywhere within theblue setup zone and left-click. The Sherman will jump to thenew location.
There are restrictions as to where you are allowed to placeyour units. Tanks, for example, cannot enter woods or buildingsor even steep slopes (CM is 3-dimensional already afterall!). Aspreviously stated, you are also not allowed to move your unitsout of their setup zones. Try it - select the Sherman, press Pand move the cursor into the red zone, then left-click. Nothingwill happen - the Sherman cannot leave its own setup zone.
You can move units between setup zones of the same color.Select one of the units from the red setup zone. It doesn�tmatter which, but remember where it was, since you will haveto put it back for the rest of this tutorial to make sense. Left-click on the unit, hit the P key, and move the cursor into theother red setup zone. Left-click again - the unit will be re-positioned. All right, well done - now put it back, will ya...
You can also change the facing of your units (your units willspot an enemy best in the direction they face!). This is donewith the ROTATE command. Bring up the orders menu or hit R,move the cursor to the direction you want your unit to face andleft-click. If you want to reposition a unit and change facing atthe same time, use the MOVE command, hotkey M. This willfirst place the unit and then automatically call up the ROTATEcommand afterwards.
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Notice also that the line color is different for each commandyou choose. An in-depth description of available commands,line colors and their effect in the game can be found in Appen-dix B of the manual.
The All Important Line Of Sight (LOS)Another command available during the Setup Phase (and also
thereafter) is LINE OF SIGHT. This is a very useful tool to checkexactly what your units are able to see from their currentpositions. Try it - select a unit, hit L (or call up the ordersmenu and left-click on LINE OF SIGHT). Now move the cursoraround the map - you will notice that the color of the linechanges, depending on what you point at. You don�t need toclick, just pointing the cursor does the job (in fact, when youclick you exit the LOS tool). Notice also that some text appearsabove your cursor describing the type of terrain you�re pointingat right now.
The brighter the blue line color, the better the line of sight,i.e. the less obstructed the view to that particular location.Notice that line of sight deteriorates with distance, even acrossopen terrain. Additionally, some objects, like houses, com-pletely block the LOS, while others, like woods, simply make itdeteriorate faster. With the LOS tool selected, move the cursorslowly into the light woods off the road. The further the cursormoves, the darker the LOS line becomes.
At some point, the LOS becomes blocked. Your unit is not ableto see any further - immediately, the LOS line color changes tored/black. The red part of the line shows what is still visible,the black part starts from the point where the LOS is cut, andnothing beyond that can be seen.
Lines of sight are extremely important in tactical combat - youneed to see the enemy before you can fire at him. At the sametime, you are trying to deny him lines of sight to your owntroops, thereby effectively keeping him from firing at you.Mastering the concept of line of sight in the game is essentialto your success as a battlefield commander. You won�t alwayshave to use the LOS tool. Being 3D in nature, and with the freecamera movement, most often you can "eyeball" what yourunits can see. One of the best was is to simply select "groundview" (level 1) and position the camera on top of the spottingunit. Keep in mind, however, that with the option to scale unit
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sizes and the generalization of individual trees and soldiers,"eyeballing" will never be as exact as the LOS tool. If in doubt,hit the L key - keep this in mind, it can save you from somefrustrating defeats later.
Getting Your Units Ready for BattleAll right, so far, so good. Now it�s time to apply all of the above
and concentrate on the mission at hand. You have two Shermantanks and roughly a company of infantry at your disposal,together with some supporting weapons (machineguns) andeven an artillery forward observer carrying a radio. The radioenables him to direct the fire of a battery of 81mm mortars,which is located somewhere off-map behind your position. Yourgoal is to reach the T-junction, eliminate any German resis-tance and hold the road until further notice (i.e. until thescenario ends). You have 15 turns (minutes) to accomplish thismission. Of course you should try to do so with a minimum ofcasualties.
For the tutorial, we�re going to try to move the Shermans downthe road while moving the infantry platoons on the right sidethrough the woods. This should accomplish three importantthings -
1. Keep the tanks away from the woods, where they not onlycan bog down easily, but are juicy targets for enemy am-bushes,
2. Create free lines of fire for the tanks, so that they will beable to support your advancing infantry,
3. Allow your infantry to flank any defenders along the roadwith a right hook.
We think this is a good plan, but of course you can develop yourown in later tries.
The two rifle platoons are already set in perfect position forwhat we�re planning to do, but we need to get the CompanyCommander, the 81mm artillery spotter and the .30 calibermachinegun team into better positions. Let�s load these guysonto the Shermans - the MG team is rather slow on foot, andthe spotter and Company CO hate walking.
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Select the MG team and press P (or choose the PLACE orderfrom the unit�s order menu). Move the cursor over one of theShermans. You will notice that the line color changes to whitewhen the cursor points at the tank, and the word "EMBARK" isdisplayed. Left-click and the MG team will be placed on thetank�s rear hull. Do the same with the Company HQ unit andplace it on the other Sherman. That leaves the spotter team...since it�s only two men, it will still fit on either of the Sher-mans - select, hit P and left-click on the Sherman with theCompany HQ.
Loading your units onto the tanks is a good way to transportthem into battle, but keep in mind that they are quite vulner-able up there. It�s not a good idea to leave them mountedwhen bullets start pinging against the armor. Additionally, unitsmounted on vehicles are not allowed to return fire, and so theyreally should be dismounted quickly. Later on you will encoun-ter other vehicles in the game (armored halftracks for ex-ample), which offer more protection to the passengers than theopen hull of a tank.
OK, that�s it - you�ve finished the Setup Phase. Your men aregetting impatient to move out, and by clicking the GO! buttonon the main game interface you will tell them to do so.
The Orders Phase, First TurnThe Computer Player, or Artificial Intelligence (AI), now takes a
few seconds to position its own units, then you enter the orderphase for the first turn. You�ll notice that the setup zonesdisappear (they have no further meaning for the game) andyour units are awaiting your orders for the first minute ofaction.
Methodically, we�re going to issue the first round of orders toyour units, based on the previous tactical considerations.Without any unit selected (you should see the main gameinterface at the bottom of the screen), hit the + key. Thisselects the next available unit, based on its ID Tag. Since youhad no unit selected, that will be the first unit for the US -usually the highest commander on the field.
All units are numbered in the game, with A0 usually being thefirst. Next is A1, or B0, depending on the composition of yourforces. More details about this can be found in the UNIT sectionof the manual.
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Now press TAB (to lock the camera view behind the selectedunit) and press 2 to choose view level 2. You should now seeyour Company HQ just below the camera sitting on the reardeck of a Sherman. Using the + and - keys is a quick way to findyour units on the map and allows you to jump from whereveryou are right to the exact location of the selected unit. It�s upto you which view level you choose, of course, but for whatwe�re about to do level 2 is not bad.
Hit the + key two more times. This brings you to the first to the81mm Artillery Spotter (which should be on the Sherman) andfinally the first Platoon HQ under your command. Stop here, wewant to give these guys (which are the rightmost platoon) someorders.
Before we do so, let�s talk a bit about HQs and their role. Whenyou look at the screen, you�ll notice a few brownish lines (andone black line) extending from the HQ unit to the surroundingtroops. These are command lines and indicate if the subordi-nate units are in command or not. A brown line indicates INCOMMAND, a black line shows OUT OF COMMAND.
Keeping units in command is important, as it confers manybenefits to your troops. The most important one is that units incommand suffer from shorter "command delay" than units outof command. The command delay simulates the time it takesfor orders to pass from higher HQs down to the fighting ele-ments. If out of command, units can remain in place, delayed,for 20 seconds or more. This can be lethal in some circum-stances.
Another effect of being in command is that each HQ unit hascertain leadership abilities which can help the fighting units.These are command, morale, stealth and combat which areexplained in detail in the COMMAND & CONTROL section of themanual (where you can find more details about the effects ofbeing in and out of command, too).
Now, according to our plan, we want to order this platoon tomove through the woods in an easterly direction. Instead ofgiving orders to every unit, you can also use one of two group-move functions. Simple double-click (left mouse button) on thePlatoon HQ unit. You will notice that all units in command (i.e.to which a brown or black line extends) are highlighted. Click M(or select Move from the orders menu) and move the cursor
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straight eastwards, until you come to the first bigger patch ofWOODS (not "scattered trees"). Left-click into the middle of thewoods. You will notice that movement order lines now extendfrom the entire platoon, relative to the route selected for theHQ unit. (If you don�t see them, try pressing SHIFT-P a fewtimes until they appear). Issuing orders in this way is calledFormation select. Another possibility is the click-and-dragmethod. We�ll use that to order the second platoon to moveforward.
Find the Platoon HQ unit of the second platoon. You can do thiseither by using the + and - keys to scroll through your units, orsimply move the camera over and click on the unit (shown asone kneeling soldier with a pistol). Set the camera view tolevel 3 or 4 (number 3 or 4 on the keyboard) and toggle treesoff (CTRL-T) You�ll notice a few units grouped around thePlatoon HQ. Simply click somewhere on the map and, holdingdown the left mouse button, drag a box around the units. Theywill become highlighted - you have "group selected" them.
Order them to move forward (eastwards) until the end of thescattered trees right at the base of the elevation by the road.You can do this by pressing the M key or bringing up the ordersmenu by hitting SPACE.
There we go, both platoons will now move through the woodstowards the objective.
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Now what do we do with the tanks? Left-click on the firstSherman and order it to move down the road to the curve. Butwe don�t want it to stop there. Instead we want it to move allthe way down the road to the base of the small elevation.Simply hit M again - you will notice that the new order line nowextends not from the tank itself, but instead from the lastwaypoint you ordered it to move to. During the upcomingAction Phase, the tank will not stop at the waypoint - it willsimply take the curve and drive on.
If you know beforehand that you want to set a waypoint likethis, you can also right-click (instead of left-clicking) on thetarget point for the movement order. This will set a waypointand keep the movement order active.
Let�s do that with the second Sherman. Select it, and order itto move where the first Sherman is positioned. Right-clicksomewhere around the first Sherman, then move the cursor offthe road to the brush terrain beside the road. Left-click tofinish the movement order on brush terrain.
If you�re not happy with a waypoint, you have a few options.You can erase it (by hitting BACKSPACE) or simply right-clickingon the waypoint marker and - while holding down the rightmouse button - drag it around the map as you wish.
That�s it for turn one. You�ve ordered your force to move out!Now let�s see what they do with it - hit the GO! button on theright lower edge of the screen.
Watching Your First Turn in ActionIt will take a few seconds for the computer to crunch the num-
bers, and then the Action Phase will start. You have no influ-ence on what happens for the next 60 seconds, but you canclick on individual units and you have the "video" controls inthe lower right hand corner to replay the action, fast forward,rewind, pause etc. Feel free to move around the battlefield,change view levels and replay the action as often as you like.For now, there won�t be much action most likely. You shouldsee your men move out (after a short delay - the commanddelay) and follow the assigned paths. It is extremely unlikelythat you will encounter any enemy units this turn, but stayalert - they�re near!
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After the 60 seconds played through for the first time, theDONE button will appear under the playback controls. Whenyou click on it, you will automatically jump to the next OrdersPhase. You are then no longer able to go back and review lastturn�s action.
Once you are satisfied that you have seen all you need to see,click on DONE and off you go to Orders Phase for Turn Two.
Moving Through Turn TwoThere is no need to adjust your movement or targeting orders,so simply hit GO! to compute Turn Two. After you have finishedwatching the action, click on the DONE button to move on tothe next turn.
Turn Three Orders PhaseAll right, for Turn Three the chance of encountering the enemy is
rising. Your platoons and Shermans should have made it to theirobjectives for turn 1. Now is the time to crest the little eleva-tion between you and the victory flag (and the enemy?) and seewhat�s on the other side.
Since the first contact with the enemy often can decide thewhole game, we want to coordinate your moves a little bitmore. Combat Mission gives you a large variety of orders toallow you to coordinate your advance tactically, but not toomuch to avoid unrealistic micromanaging.
One of the main goals is to have both Shermans crest theelevation (almost) simultaneously. If there are any enemy tanksin sight, this will give them two targets at the same time andenable at least one of your Shermans to provide covering fire.Since the two Shermans are not at the same distance from theelevation, we will have to order the one closer to it (the one onthe road) to pause for a few seconds.
Let�s do it now - select the Sherman in the brush and order it toHUNT forward (hotkey: U) to the patch of scattered trees rightbeside the road on the elevation. (The hunt order makes theSherman go at medium speed (slightly faster than MOVE) whilekeeping an eye out for enemies. It also means that the Sher-man will stop and immediately engage an enemy tank if andwhen it spots one.) Then order the other Sherman to HUNTforward down the road a few meters past the crest.
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Also, order this Sherman to pause. You do this by selecting itand pressing the P key. This adds a delay of 15 seconds at thebeginning of next turn before the tank will start moving. Hit Ponce again, and you add 30 seconds delay. That�s what we needroughly, to make them appear at the same time.
Note: Pause always works at the beginning of a turn. Youcannot order units to pause at certain waypoints duringthe turn.
For the two infantry platoons, the orders are simply to keepadvancing. Order both platoons to move forward to the nextpatch of woods terrain.
That�s it. Hit GO! and watch.
Watching the Action for Turn ThreeIt�s hard to predict exactly what will happen during the course of
Turn Three. Most likely you will encounter some German armorand/or infantry. Maybe you will lose one (bad) or both (VERYbad!) of your Shermans. Combat Mission uses real-word physicsand fuzzy-logic routines, which means no two battles or turnswill ever be the same.
It is most likely, however, that you will be able to exchange afew shots with the enemy before the turn ends. You might beable to identify an enemy tank - or not. Maybe you will be firedupon and not even see where it�s coming from! The possibilitiesare many and varied - and that�s what makes Combat Missionsuch an intriguing game.
There is not much we can do for you now that the lead isflying, except give a bit of general advice. You know the basicsnow - how to give orders, how to navigate around the battle-field. We suggest you learn the finer details on the go as it ismuch more fun that way!
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Additional Tips· Forget old tricks and habits from other war or strategy games!
Although some of what you know is still applicable in CM,much of it is not. So it is better to play with an open mindand a healthy dose of real-world combat tactics.
· Experiment with the available orders - many of them havesubtle side-effects and some are suited for certain actionsbetter than others.
· Move your Shermans around so that both of them are able toengage the same target at once (if not already the case).
· Make a wide flanking maneuver with your infantry platoons.Use one platoon to storm the German positions while theother one provides suppression fire.
· Keep your heavy weapons at a distance from enemy infantryand use their suppressive capabilities.
· Keep your units in command and your Platoon HQs out ofharm�s way.
· Get the guys mounted on the Shermans into cover ASAP!
· Keep the Company HQ back a bit from the action - as thesupreme commander this unit can serve as a rally point forpanicked troops.
· Replay the action movies as often as you like, but make sureyou position your camera over your enemy once in a while -you can get invaluable information (screams when somebodyis hit, sounds from enemy units even if not seen, etc.).
· And most important - have fun!
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Appendices
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Appendix A
Hotkeys
SHIFT-CUnit (visual) scale -> Realistic, +1, +2, +3, +4Increases the "visual enlargement" of units. The degree of
enlargement is related to the distance from the camera, i.e.units further away will be graphically enlarged more thanunits close by. NOTE: "Realistic" is so small that it�s difficultto see the units unless you�re right next to them, so werecommend using at least +1, and probably +2 or +3 for thebest gaming experience.
SHIFT-TTree coverage -> None, sparse, moderate, full coverageGreat option for finding units in forests and/or to speed up the
game for lower-end systems.
SHIFT-HHorizon range -> 1000m, 1500m, 2000m, 2500m, UnlimitedGood option to speed up the game for lower-end systems.
SHIFT-PShow all moves/targets -> All paths/targets OFF, show allmovement paths, show all target lines, all paths/targets ONA good way to coordinate multiple units� movement orders as
well as for getting a feel for firing lanes and hot spots.
SHIFT-VShow vehicles -> ON/OFFToggles display of vehicles (and pillboxes/bunkers) on and off,
allowing you to see their passengers more easily.
SHIFT-OOccupied Buildings Transparency -> ON/OFFShows a building�s walls as transparent or removes them com-pletely when occupied by units. The transparency effect is notcompatible with certain graphics cards.
SHIFT-FShow objective flags -> ON/OFFToggles objective flags on or off.
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SHIFT-AViewpoint up -> 0, 1, 2Tips the camera angle up a few degrees. Automatically reset
when the camera height is changed.
SHIFT-ZViewpoint down -> 0, -1, -2, -3, -4, -5, -6, -7, -8, -9, -10Tips the camera angle down a few degrees. Automatically reset
when the camera height is changed.
SHIFT-SSound -> OFF/ON/ON+ambientToggles sound on and off and enables ambient sounds.
SHIFT-RShow building roofs -> ON/OFFToggles the display of building roofs on and off.
SHIFT-EShow exit zone (if any) -> ON/OFFToggles the display of the exit zone(s) - if applicable.
SHIFT-BUnit bases -> ON/OFFDisplays the units with a color-coded base for easier spotting on
the map.
SHIFT-LLandmarks -> ON/OFFTurns the display of landmark labels on the battlefield map on
and off.
SHIFT-IShow smoke -> None, fast and compatible, high qualityToggles the display of smoke effects. None - shows no smoke
for better visibility of the battlefield. Fast and compatible -shows smaller smoke columns for slower hardware systems.High quality - shows bigger smoke columns and adds translu-cent effects for highest visual appeal; not compatible withcertain graphics cards.
SHIFT-MShow 3 men per squad -> ON/OFFToggles the display of 2 or 3 soldier graphics per squad. 3 is thedefault setting, but 2 can be used for slower systems.
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SHIFT-KCamera shake -> ON/OFFToggles the shaking of your viewpoint (the "camera") from
nearby explosions.
SHIFT-WWeather/Fog -> None, partial, fullToggles the display of weather effects like rain, snow and fog.
Use NONE for slower systems, PARTIAL for average systems,and FULL for high-end systems.
SHIFT-GLabels -> ON/OFFToggles the display of unit status labels on the map.
SHIFT-DDetailed armor hits -> ON/OFFToggles detailed armor hit reports on or off, showing you the
location a vehicle has been hit and the effects of such a hit.
ARROWS Move camera viewpointKeys 1-8 Set camera viewpoint height< > Rotate camera viewpoint/ Rotate camera view 180 degrees[ ] Zoom camera in/outTAB Lock camera view on unitENTER Show unit detailsSPACE Show orders menu OR cancels active orderBACKSPACE Erase last waypoint+ Go to next friendly unit- Go to previous friendly unit\ Switch sides (Editor only)ESCAPE Switch to desktop
Alt-BScenario briefingCalls up the scenario briefings (general and side-specific). For
operations, the battle number is shown at the top.
Alt-G(Windows only) Allows you to set one of five Gamma (bright-
ness) settings. Select the one that works best for your moni-tor and video card. This option is accessible on all screensthroughout the game.
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Alt-SSave gameAllows you to save a game in progress during the Orders Phase
of a turn. You are prompted to enter a name for the savefile. The file is automatically saved into the Saved Gamessubdirectory of Combat Mission and is available from theLoad Game screen.
Alt-CCease fire requestA screen pops up asking you if you really want to (secretly)
prepare for a cease fire. If your opponent chooses this optionas well, the game automatically ends. Selecting this optionagain and choosing "no" cancels any cease fire preparations.
Alt-USurrenderEnds the game immediately with all friendly forces surrender-ing.
Alt-AAbort scenarioExits current game immediately. No End Game screen is shown.
Alt-QQuit Combat MissionQuits the game and exits to the desktop. This option is acces-
sible from any screen in the game.
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Appendix B
Movement Orders for Infantry and Teams
Order Unit Type Hotkey ColorSneak Fast units S BlueCrawl All except Slow units C BrownMove All M AquaRun Fast units F Light GreenRotate All O PurpleWithdraw All W Light greenPause All P N/A
Basic DescriptionsSneak - Move cautiously and slowly to avoid detection, stop
and take cover when engaged by enemy.
Crawl- Go prone and crawl forward cautiously using full coverbut at a very slow speed.
Move - Move at walking speed.
Run - Move at running speed, spotting ability significantlyreduced. Only units with speed class FAST can run.
Rotate - Change facing - facing is important for spotting, evenfor infantry units.
Withdraw - Retreat immediately! Unit will start moving with-out any command delay, but may panic or break. Withdrawcan only be issued towards friendly map edge and away fromvisible enemy. Ability to spot is greatly reduced.
Pause - Remain in place for 15 seconds from the beginning ofthe next turn. Subsequent Pause orders increase the waitingtime in 15 second increments, to 30 and 45 seconds. After 45seconds the Pause order is cancelled by issuing it once again.The unit�s inherent command delay is always added to thewaiting time and can result in a pause of more than 60seconds.
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Movement Orders for Vehicles
Order Unit Type Hotkey ColorMove All M BlueFast All F Light greenReverse All R Dark PurpleHunt Vehicles w/ mainGun U GreenRotate All O PurplePause All P N/A
Basic DescriptionsMove - Move at walking speed.
Fast - Move at maximum speed (depending on terrain andvehicle type), do NOT stop before reaching destination.
Reverse - Move backwards and do not stop before reachingdestination.
Hunt - Move at medium speed, stop when enemy target spottedand engage enemy until destroyed or out of sight. NOTE: TheCommonwealth Archer is not capable of using the Huntcommand.
Rotate - Change facing - facing is important for spotting, buteven more so for pointing the strongest armor in the direc-tion of the greater threat. This order is particularly criticalto vehicles that have no turrets.
Pause - Remain in place for 15 seconds from the beginning ofnext turn. Subsequent Pause orders increase the waiting timein 15 second increments, to 30 and 45 seconds. After 45seconds the Pause order is cancelled by issuing it once again.The units inherent command delay is always added to thewaiting time.
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Targeting/Firing Orders
Order Unit Type Hotkey ColorTarget All T See BelowTarget Wide Artillery I OrangeNext Target All N N/ASmoke Some non-Infantry units K Light greyCancel Target All X N/A
Basic DescriptionsTarget - Instructs the unit to fire at the designated target
area. The Target line has more variations in color than theother orders:
Red -> direct fire targetOrange -> Area Fire targetMaroon -> Target outside of firing arc (if applicable)
If the target is not an enemy unit, the unit will automaticallyuse Area Fire. Many units have a firing arc, outside of whichthey have to rotate to be able to fire in that direction (whichthey will do automatically).
Target Wide - Tells the unit to spray a wide area with artilleryfire rather than try to hit a certain spot.
Next Target - Selects the next possible (and visible) target,starting with the "best", i.e. the one with the highest chanceto hit
Smoke - Certain guns and tanks are capable of firing smokerounds from their main gun or artillery battery. The orderworks just like the target order. Artillery spotters keep firingsmoke until the order is cancelled or ammo is used up, buton-map ordnance usually only fires a few smoke rounds atthe target area.
Cancel Target - Cancels the current firing order.
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Other Orders
Order Unit Type Hotkey ColorHide/ All H N/AUnhideAmbush See Below A N/ALine of Sight All L See BelowButton up/ Vehicles w/full crews Z N/AUnbuttonSplit Squads N/A N/A
Basic DescriptionsHide/Unhide - Keep heads down (or engines low idle) in order
to avoid enemy detection. Unit will not open fire untilenemy is well within the unit�s lethal fire zone, usually lessthan 100 meters. Units that are hiding have their spottingcapabilities reduced. A Hide order in combination with aTARGET command tells the troops to stay hidden but openfire when the selected target comes within lethal firingrange. When a unit is using Hide the Unhide order becomesavailable to put the unit back into its normal state. Notethat vehicles can only use Hide when they have no move-ment orders.
Ambush - Places an Ambush Marker on the map. The unitsetting the ambush will only open fire if an enemy unitmoves within a certain range of it. Friendly units within LOSof the Ambush Marker can also target the point, but only iftheir HQ unit is within command range. Great for ambushesif the firing troops are also hiding at the same time.
Line of Sight (LOS) - Shows what the selected unit can seefrom its current position. The color of the line indicates ifthe LOS is obstructed partially, completely or not at all. Thedarker it is, the more things are in the way, e.g. trees or fog.Even across open ground the LOS degrades with distance dueto haze, small obstacles, dips and foliage. If the LOS iscompletely obstructed, the line is RED up to the point of theobstacle, and BLACK from there on.
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Button Up/Unbutton - Orders crew to close hatches or (if opentop) hide within the hull�s armor. Most "flexible" MGs cannotbe operated when the vehicle is buttoned up. When a unit isButtoned Up the Unbutton order becomes available so longas the crew is at full strength (i.e. no casualties).
Split - Splits a squad into two half-squads which can be movedindividually. Half-squads are useful for reconnoitering enemypositions, but are not good for fighting as they tend to paniceasier. You can rejoin half-squads from the same squad only. Thishappens automatically if the two halves are moved close to-gether and stopped at the end of a turn.
Special Orders during the Setup Phase
Order Unit Type Hotkey ColorDig In Tanks D N/AActivate Flag HQ Units N/A N/A
Basic DescriptionsDig In - Orders the unit to start the game with its hull dug in,
so that only the turret is visible above the ground. Thisprovides excellent protection but means that the vehicle isnot able to move for the duration of the battle.
Activate Flag - Allows the highest HQ unit on the map toselect - during the Setup Phase - which flag is the realobjective on a map with dynamic flags.
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Appendix C
Troubleshooting
We have taken great care to deliver a bug-free, compatible andplayable game to you. However, the vast myriad of differenthardware and software configurations available today makes itimpossible to provide solutions for 100% of them. Below youwill find answers to a few known issues as well as a guideline toany problems you might encounter with the game.
I have problems with transparency effects (smoke and buildings)Unfortunately, some older graphics card drivers have limita-tions which do not allow transparency to be displayed properly:mainly apparent in CM�s smoke and buildings. That�s why weprovide "fast and compatible" options for those who encounterproblems with this. Simply leave the "Occupied Building Trans-parency" option (Shift-O) OFF, and set smoke effects (Shift-I) to"Fast and compatible".
Fog graphics either don�t show up or the screen goes all white (Windows)You may need to enable "fog table emulation" in the controlpanel for DirectX and/or your video driver. If that doesn�t solvethe problem, you can disable fog graphics by pressing SHIFT-Wonce or twice.
CM crashes or exhibits very strange behaviorPC/Windows SystemsDRIVERS! DRIVERS! DRIVERS! IMPORTANT! Before going furtherthe most critical thing is to ensure you have up-to-date driversoftware for your graphics card, DirectX, and even your mouse.Nearly ALL compatibility problems can be directly linked toobsolete or buggy drivers. Good websites to visit for moreinformation are:
http://windrivers.com http://www.3dchipset.com http://www.reactorcritical.com http://www.3dfxgamers.com (for Voodoo cards)
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� DIRECTX: DirectX 6 is required, and it�s a good idea to updateto the very latest version from <http://www.microsoft.com/directx/default.asp>. NOTE: If you still have problems afterinstalling the latest DirectX, it is often a good idea to REIN-STALL your video and mouse drivers, because the installation ofDirectX may have overwritten them.
� CUSTOM THEMES/CURSORS: Do not use custom Windows"themes" or custom mouse pointers! If you get mouse pointer"flicker", or notice any unexplainable problems (even thosewhich seemingly have nothing to do with cursors or the mouse)try changing the "Windows Theme" and mouse pointer to theWindows Default.
� MICROSOFT INTELLIMOUSE: has been linked to various prob-lems including crashes and graphical corruption. Obtain andinstall the latest drivers from Microsoft. If this does not solvethe problem, disable the Intellimouse software (there shouldbe an icon you can click in the lower-right portion of yourscreen, in the task bar).
� LOGITECH MOUSE/TRACKBALL: Problems have been linked toobsolete drivers for these products. Obtain and install thelatest drivers.
� OVERCLOCKED GRAPHICS: If your video card has an over-clocking feature, this may cause very strange graphical prob-lems. Drop the clock speed back to normal, using its controlpanel.
� NVIDIA DRIVERS: We have encountered a variety of issues withunofficially released 7.17 drivers from Nvidia. If you have thesedrivers you need to uninstall them prior to running the game orwill crash frequently. We recommend the official Detonator 3release (6.31 New reports have shown instability with any ofthe Nvidia 7.xx drivers as well as versions beyond 6.47.
� ATI RAGE 128 and NON-INTEL MOTHERBOARDS: If you have anon-Intel based motherboard chipset and an ATI Rage 128 / 128Pro, then you may want to get the earlier drivers (some VIAchipsets may be fine however), because the most recent ATIdrivers for these cards (dated March 9, 2000) have causedproblems for some users. Older drivers that may actually workbetter are available at the ATI website:
177
v. 4.11.6216: http://support.atitech.ca/drivers/win98_4116216.html
v. 4.11.6263: http://support.atitech.ca/drivers/win98_4116263.html
� RIVA: Users of Riva122/128zx based cards are advised to usethe nVidia reference drivers to avoid problems.
� The first time you run CM, it checks your graphics hardwareby asking you "Can you see this?" It also displays the name ofthe graphics card it has detected, and a monitor resolution andrefresh rate. If these are acceptable, you should click thebutton (if not - or you want a different setting, just wait a fewseconds and alternate choices will be shown, one at a time).Once you click the button to accept, the program then savesthis as your default video setting. If you ever want to change it(e.g. you buy a new graphics card or monitor, or are trouble-shooting to find a configuration that works) just delete the CM"preferences" file (called "Combat Mission Bynd Ovr Prefs") andthe process of checking your graphics hardware will be resetand begin anew the next time you run CM.
� Make sure that graphics acceleration for DirectX/Direct3D isON (in the DirectX control panel).
� Problems with Sound? Go to the DirectX control panel. Clickon the DirectSound tab. Turn down (or off) hardware accelera-tion for sound.
� If CM won�t start up properly, or won�t show 3D graphics, trysetting your desktop to a smaller resolution before running CMagain (it�s a good idea to delete CM�s "prefs" file too).
� You may need to examine the "control panel" for your videocard and experiment with the settings. Pay special attention to"refresh rate": if there is a setting for "optimal", you shouldprobably use it.
Windows XP and Nvidia:
On some computers with Windows XP and Nvidia graphic de-vices there could appear special graphic errors. Texts in buttonsand in the mission selection could be displayed transparent andtherefore partly difficult to read.
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The problem does not depend on the game but on the graphicdrivers. Nvidia is aware of this problem and has solved it forthe latest versions of their drivers.If you encounter such problems, we advice you to download thelatest drivers directly from the official Nvidia website:
http://www.nvidia.com
TCP/IP TroubleshootingFirewalls and Proxies - If either player is behind a firewall(hacker protection) or is using a proxy system, you might needto reconfigure your system. In order to play a network game,Combat Mission requires that TCP port 7023 be open for alloutgoing and incoming transmissions. Please configure yourfirewall and proxies accordingly. Users of the software pack-ages Black Ice Defender and Zone Alarm may have to disablethe software completely before a successful connection can bemade. It is possible that some users of Black Ice Defendermight have to do a full uninstall of the package in order for CMto be able to work correctly for TCP/IP play
Cable/DSL Router Configuration - If you use a home broadbandrouter like the LinkSys Cable/DSL 4 port Router and wish tohost games you will need to add TCP port 7023 to the routersforwarding table. You then need to match port 7023 to theinternal IP address of the computer that you want to host thegame with, then use the routers control panel (usually accessedvia your browser) to get the external IP address given out byyour ISP. Give this external IP address to your opponent andconnection should work with you as Host.
Internet Connection Sharing - Many people use ICS on theirhome LANs to access a broadband or modem connection to theInternet across multiple computer systems. Currently a com-puter that is connected to the Internet via an ICS connectioncan not Host a Combat Mission game out to the Internet. Theycan however host locally to systems that are connected on thesame home LAN. They can also still attach to a hosted gamenormally on the Internet or the home LAN. This limitation onhosting affects systems that gain their access to the InternetSOLEY through an ICS connection.
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Loading a PBEM file does not workIf one player can�t load a file it is most likely because of atransmission error due to an incompatible email format. It isvery important that both players use the same, compatiblemethod for sending PBEM files to each other. Macintosh usersplaying against Windows users should pay close attention tothis! Generally it is best if �uuEncoding� is used without anyform of compression. Since the files are text, software com-pression generally doesn�t reduce transmission times thatdramatically. If you should use compression make absolutelysure that it can be decoded by the player on the other end.
The Game runs slowlyWe have provided several ways to enhance game performancefor slower systems. Try any or all of the following to get asmoother running game:
� toggle TREES (Shift-T) to "moderate" or "sparse" or turnthem off completely
� toggle the HORIZON (Shift-H) to a lower setting thaninfinite
� toggle SMOKE (Shift-I) to "fast and compatible" or turn itoff completely
� toggle SQUAD SIZE (Shift-M) to "2 men per squad"� toggle WEATHER/FOG (Shift-W) OFF� toggle SOUND (Shift-S) off or disable ambient sounds� buy a modern 3D graphics card with more VRAM (16MB or
more for best results). This one hardware option willyield the best results instantly
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Dang, where did that unit go?Being a 3D game, Combat Mission requires a bit more scanningof the battlefield than common 2D games to keep an overviewof friendly and enemy forces. However, we have provided a lotof different options to help the player stay on top of things andfind his own units as quickly as possible. Try this:
� toggle UNIT BASES (Shift-B) ON� toggle VISUAL UNIT SCALE (Shift-C) to +2 or higher� toggle TREES (Shift-T) off� use the + and - keys to "browse" through all of your units� toggle SMOKE (Shift-S) and/or FOG (Shift-W) OFF
The armor slope of that Panther is off by 0.5 degrees! My life is ruined!If you spot any inaccuracies, problems, bugs or simply anyweird stuff in the game, please feel free to post it on theCombat Mission message board at www.battlefront.com. We�vetaken great care to bring you a bug-free, historically accurategame, but since we�re realists we are more than happy to"tweak" the game if there are demonstrable inaccuracies.These tweaks will then be released in official patches, avail-able for download from Battlefront.com.
What do I do if I have a defective CD-ROM?Please do NOT send the CD back before you [email protected]. They will tell you how to proceed.Battlefront.com does not accept any returns without priorauthorization through the above email address.
I need Tech SupportIf you encounter any problems not covered in this manual, wehave two options for you. First, check out the Battlefront.commessage board. You will find hundreds of people there, includ-ing the designers of Combat Mission, who can likely help you.The discussion forum contains tens of thousands of messagesalready, so use the Search function to fish for some answersfirst. Nine times out of ten the question has been asked andanswered at least once.
If this doesn�t work, you can also [email protected] with your question. Pleaseinclude a detailed description of the problem as well as yourhardware configuration in your email.
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Appendix D
Technical SupportPlease write down all important configuration data of your computer andan exact description (when, how and where the error occurred; what ex-actly were you doing ?), before contacting our technical support. This guar-antees that we can help you in a fast and efficient way.
Please provide us with the following information:
Personal details:
- E-mail address- If you contact us from outside Germany, please provide us with
information on your location and the language version of the pro-gram you are using.
Computer details:
- Computer make and model- Windows version- Speed and manufacturer of the processor- Speed and manufacturer of the CD ROM drive- Total System RAM- Video card make and model- Sound card make and model- Mouse and driver information as well as information on any fur-
ther peripherals (e.g. joysticks)
In order to get this information, please go to �Run� in your Windows-start-menu and type �dxdiag� in the command line, before confirming it bypressing the Enter-key. Now the DirectX diagnostic program will start. Itmainly shows all the relevant driver files of your system components. Inorder to receive a text file of this information, simply click the button�Save All Information�. You can then place a text file with all the relevantdata on your hard drive in order to send it via e-mail or keep it for futurereference.
Contacts:
- 24 hours via e-mail at: [email protected]
Please do not address support requests to our company address or phone
number as there we cannot answer any technical questions.
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183
Appendix E
A Note About Realism
There has never been, or will ever be, a wargame that is a 100%accurate representation of 100% of the elements that contrib-ute to warfare 100% of the time. Since no wargame will evermodel all aspects of warfare perfectly, then CM by definitionmust have some elements that have been approximated oromitted in some way. To claim otherwise would be a lie, so wemake no such case to you the wargamer. Having said that, wefeel quite confident that it is no exaggeration to say thatCombat Mission is by far the most realistic wargame ever madefor non-military consumption.
More often than not design decisions that depart from 100%accuracy were made, consciously, to work within the con-straints of hardware limitations. However, it is our convictionthat none of the approximations found in CM fundamentallyaffect the overall accuracy of its simulation of squad levelwarfare. The most important aspects associated with CM's levelof warfare are done to the highest standards and designed towork in harmony with each other.
As designers of Combat Mission we feel no shame that CM isless than 100% totally realistic since that is an impossible goalto obtain. On the contrary, we are proud to have pushed thebar of realism higher than ever before, while making a gamethat is also immersive and fun to play.
Still, we constantly strive to make CM as realistic as possible,given the constraints of current hardware and feasible develop-ment schedules. We won't rest on our laurels, now that CombatMission: Beyond Overlord is complete. We intend to expand thedesign and continue to advance the state of the art in tacticalwargaming. That is a promise.
Sincerely,
Charles MoylanStephen Grammont
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185
Appendix F
Licence ContractWith the use/installation of the CD Combat Mission, you agree to the followinglicense agreement:
IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ THROUGH THIS CAREFULLY! This end-user-license (�EULA�) is a legal binding contract between you and CDVSoftware Entertainment AG for the above mentioned software poduct,consisting of the computer software and possible relevant media, printingmaterial and electronic operating instructions (the �software product�). Byinstalling the software product, copying it or using it in any other way, youadmit to the conditions of this EULA unlimited. Should you not agree to theconditions of this EULA, do not install this software product, but hand it backto the person you received it from, in return for refund of the licence feewithin 30 days.
Product name: Combat Mission - Beyond Overlord
Software product licenceThis software product is copyrighted (by national law and internationalcontracts.). This software product has not been sold to you, but is onlylicensed to you.
1) Licence warrantyThis EULA warrants you a licence with the following rights: Use of the deliveredsoftware. This software product must only be used by you. You are allowed toinstall this software product and use it on one computer only.
2) Description of further rights and restrictionsRestrictions concerning Reverse Engineering, Decompilation andDisassemblierung. You are not allowed to change the software product, subjectit to a Reverse Engineering, decompilize, or disassemblise it. The softwareproduct is licensed in a whole. Its parts must not be seperated, to use them onmore than one computer.Hiring out: You must never lease, rent or lend the software product toanybody.Software negotiation: You are allowed to negotiate all rights you are entitledto under this EULA completely and durable, as far as you (a) do not retain anycopies (of the whole software product or single parts of it), (b) negotiate thewhole software product (including all covering material (in media- or form),upgrades, and the EULA durable and completely to the consignee.
3) Copyright and trade-mark rightsThe software product (inclusive all illustrations, photos, animation sequencies,video-, audio-, music- and text parts, which were embeded in the softwareproduct), as well as all the connected trade-mark and rights of usufruct, thecovering, printed materials and all copies of the software products areproperty of CDV Software Entertainment AG or a connected enterprise. Thesoftware product is protected copyright and trade-mark-legal by national law ,international law and international contract stipulations. With regards toarchives purposes, you must handle the software product like any other by
186
copyright protected work, and you must not make copies of the printed materialswhich are covering the software product.
You must not remove, modify or change the hints about copyrights and trade-marks from the software product. This particularly regards to hints on thepacking and the data media, in hints which are published on the web site orwhich are accessible by internet, or others which are icluded in the softwareproduct or are created from this.
4) Limited warrantyLimited warranty. CDV Software Entertainment AG warrants, that (a) thesoftware product essentially works in aggreement with the written records beingsupplied with the softare product from CDV Software Entertainment AG. Thiswarranty covers 90 days, beginnig with the date stated on the receipt.Legal remedy of the customers. The responsibility of CDV Software EntertainmentAG and their suppliers as well as their excluding guarantee claims limit to - bychoice of CDV Software Entertainment AG - (a) the payback of the licence feeyou payed, as far as those was payed and do not overstep the recommendedretail price, or (b) pepair or peplacement of the part, or the parts of thesoftware product, which efficiency CDV Software Entertainment AG mustguarantee for, as far as the software product is given back to CDV SoftwareEntertainment AG , including a copy of your receipt. This limited warranty is notvalid, if the defect is based on an accident or misused or faulty handling. Foreach replaced software product, the guarantee for a period of 30 days, or, as faras it causes a longer period of warranty, is taken over from the first guaranteeperiod CDV Software Entertainment AG yields this guarantee steps and productservices only, when it is proved, that the software product was obtained legally.
No further warranties. CDV Software Entertainment AG and their suppliersexclude, as far as this is permitted by practicable law, any further warranty, aswell as the liability for occuring or failure of an explicit or tacitly agreedcondition. This includes especially the concludant legal warranty for marketablequality, for the suitability for a special aim, for property, for the non-violation,concerning the software product and the stipulation, which assigns serviceactivities, respective for shortcomings in the field of service activities.
5) Limited liabilityAs far as this is permitted by practicable law, CDV Software Entertainment AGand their suppliers are not liable for special damages being based on accident, ormediate damages, just as little as for any following damages, especially forcompensation for the loss of business takings, for the interruption of businessoperation, for the loss of business information or any other financial damages,arising from the use or an impossibility of the use of the software product, orfrom the guarantee or abstained guarantee of service activities. This evenapplies, if CDV Software Entertainment AG was drawn to the possibility of suchdamages. In any case, CDV Software Entertainment AG´s entire liability will be,by instruction of this EULA, limited to the amount you actually paid for thesoftware product. All this restricitons are not valid, if CDV Software Entertain-ment AG caused the damage wilfully.
6) Final restrictionsShould restrictions of this contract be not legally binding in whole or in part,and/or not practicable, and/or loose their legal force later, the validity of theremaining restrictions of the contracts shall not be touched. This also applies, ifit should be proved, that the contract includes a settlement gap.
Instead of the ineffective and/or impracticable restriction or for filling thegap, an adequate settlement shall be valid, which, as far as legally possible,approaches best to the intended settlement.
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Index
188
IndexA
Abandoned. See StatusAction Phase 14Action Replay 15, 35Activate Flag 174After Action Report 120AI. See Artificial IntelligenceAir Support. See Close Air SupportAlerted. See MoraleAmbushes 50, 68, 173Ammunition 39, 76Antipersonnel Mines. See MinesAntitank Mines. See MinesArea Fire 59Armor 46
Flaking 97Penetration 57, 96Slope 86, 97Thickness 96Types 98
Armor Piercing (AP). See AmmunitionArtificial Intelligence (AI) 84, 156Artillery 56, 57, 103
Adjusting Fire 106Delays 105
Assault Boats 115Auto Surrender 117Auto-Generate Map 123, 135
B
Balance, Play 21Barbed Wire. See FortificationsBases. See Unit BasesBattles 19, 110Blast Value 82Bocage 52, 64, 139Bogged. See StatusBridges 66Briefings 20, 147Brinnell Hardness Number 86, 88Broken. See MoraleBrush 65Building Damage 64Buildings 62Bunkers. See FortificationsButton Up 50, 71, 174Buying Units. See Purchase units
C
Cancel Target 172Captured 117Casualties 39, 78, 81Cautious. See MoraleCeasefire 15, 117Chatting 25Clear. See Weather EffectsCliffs 67Close Air Support 101, 102, 113, 143Command & Control 38, 89
Command Delay 90, 95Delay 56, 92Range 90
Connections 26Crawl 170Create Scenario 123
D
Demolition Charge. See Special EquipmentDesigners Note
36, 40, 53, 55, 77, 93, 107, 116DETAILED UNIT INFORMATION 42Dig In 174Direct Fire 59Disembarking. See Embarking
E
Elevation Mode 133Embarking 56End of Game 117Engineers 61, 109Exit Zones 118Experience 91, 94Exposure 57, 58
F
Fanaticism 94, 131Fast 171Fatigue 39, 96Fire 116Firepower 43, 58, 72, 80, 81, 82Firing Arc 60, 108, 172Firing Orders 57Flags
Activating Objective 50Flamethrowers
Portable 76Vehicle Mounted 47
189
Fog of War 21, 97, 119Fords 67Fortifications 108, 111Frontline 110Fuzzy Logic 74
G
Gammon Bombs. See Special EquipmentGlobal Morale 117, 152GO! Button 14Grain Fields 66Ground Conditions 114Ground Pressure 45Group Select 36, 37Gyrostabilizer 46
H
Half-Squads. See Splitting SquadsHand-To-Hand Combat 82Handicap 21, 123Heavy Building 62Hedgerows. See BocageHedges 65Hide 173High Explosive (HE). See AmmunitionHits
Chance of 58, 84Non-Penetrating 87
Hollow Charge. See AmmunitionHotkeys 166HQ Units 68, 90Hull Down 58, 84Hunt 171
I
ID Tag 38Indirect Fire 105Info/Kills Window 48IP Address 26
J
Joining a Game 24
K
Kill Chance 58
L
Leadership 38, 145Abilities 91
Light Building 62
Limbering. See EmbarkingLine of Sight 70, 173
M
Macintosh Systems 12Marsh 66Mines 109Minor Victory. See End of GameMisidentify 102Misses 85Morale 81, 91, 92
Eight levels of 92Mortars. See ArtilleryMovement
Fine Tuning 34Orders 51, 170
Mud. See Ground Conditions
N
Nahverteidigungswaffe 46Nationalities 142Navigating 33Next Target 172Night Combat 112No Man�s Land 112
O
Off-Map Artillery. See ArtilleryOperations 19, 110Orders 14, 16, 57
Issuing 51Phase 14
Overcast. See Weather Effects
P
Panicked. See MoralePanzerfaust. See Special EquipmentParameters 127, 129Passenger Capacity. See Tanks/
VehiclesPassword 22Pause 55, 162, 170, 171Paved Roads. See RoadsPBEM. See Play-by-Email gamePillboxes. See FortificationsPinned. See MoralePlay Game Button 19Play-By-E-Mail 22, 27Player, Computer Setup 21Preview Mode 132Purchasing Units 124
190
Q
Question Mark Icon. See LeadershipIcons
Quick Battle 19, 122
R
Railroad Tracks 66Rain. See Weather EffectsRate of Fire (RoF) 47Rear-Facing Driver 46Regular. See ExperienceReinforcements
150, 112, 142, 146, 151Reloading. See StatusReserves. See ReinforcementsRested. See FatigueReverse 171Ricochets 87Rifle Grenade. See Special EquipmentRoads 66Rotate 170, 171Rough 66Rough Terrain 48Routed. See MoraleRubble 63, 64Run 170
S
Saved Games 19Scattered Trees 65Schürzen. See SkirtsSetup Phase
Orders 49Setup Zones 21, 49, 107, 112, 133Shaken. See MoraleShocked. See StatusShot Trap 47, 86Show Height 133Silhouette 46Skill, Computer Bonus 21Skirts (Schürzen) 46, 86, 89Slopes 67Smoke 77, 116, 172
Dischargers 46Sneak 170Snow. See Ground Conditions. See
also Weather effectsSound Contact 98Special Equipment 43, 60
Demolition Charge 83, 109, 144Gammon Bombs 83Panzerfaust 83
Speed 55Maximum 55
Splitting Squads 50, 72, 174Spotting 98, 100Star Icon. See Leadership IconsStone Bridges. See BridgesStone Wall 65Suppression 80Surrendering 117, 131
T
Tactical Victory. See End of gameTaking Cover. See StatusTall Bridges 139Tall Pines 65Tanks 45, 46, 52, 56, 58Target 172Target Reference Points 105, 111Target Wide 104, 172TCP/IP 18, 22, 178Teams 36Terrain 62
Impassible 52Terrain Mode 133Thick Fog. See Weather EffectsTime. See StatusTime of Day 113Timer 24Tired. See FatigueTotal Victory. See End of GameTRP. See Target Reference PointTungsten Core 77. See AmmunitionTurret Rotation Speed 47
U
Unbutton 71. See Button upUnits 36, 57
Bases 49Editing 144Fanatical. See FanaticismHalf-Squads. See Splitting SquadsHeadcount 39Info 37, 154Selecting 36Speed Class 42Status 40Transport Class 43Types 142
191
V
Vehicles 36, 46, 56Detailed Info 45Digging In 50Machine Gun 47
Very Dry. See Ground ConditionsVeteran. See ExperienceVictory. See End of GameVictory Flags 128View Levels 33
W
Water 67Waypoints 53We Go Principle 15Weary. See FatigueWeather
Atmospheric 113Weight 45. See Tanks/VehiclesWet. See Ground ConditionsWhite Phosphorus 77Withdraw 170Wooden Bridges. See BridgesWoods 65
Z
Zoom Controls 34
CreditsPublished By: CDV Software Entertainment, AG
CDV Product Manager: Jens Scheibel, Johannes Friedrich
Game Design and Development: Charles Moylan, Steve Grammont
Programming: Charles Moylan
Quality Assurance: Steve Grammont
Artists: Peter Crafts, Dan Olding, Steve Grammont
Manual: Martin Turewicz, Steve Grammont
Historical Consultants: Fionn Kelly, Martin Turewicz,Carlos Lourenco
Technical Consultants: Robert Livingston, Lorrin Bird
Sound: Charles Moylan
Contributing Artists: Bil Hardenberger, Matt Faller,Colin "CoolColJ" Chung, John Smith VIII,David Pentland
Voice Acting: Martin Turewicz, Matt Faller, Joël Montagu, Eugen Wisniewski,Stefan Niemc, Dan Crick, Greg Missman, Barry Price
Lead Tester/Scenario Author: "Wild" Bill Wilder
Testers/Scenario Authors: Darwin "WhiteRook" Barnes, Alana Darling, RogerEriksen, Jim "Figmo" Faletti, Matt "MadMatt" Faller, Sten Friberg, BilHardenberger, Mike Innella, Fionn Kelly, Carlos Lourenco, Louie "GungHo" Marsh, Bryan "Marauder" Melvin, Joël Montagu, Dan "KwazyDog" Olding,Chris Orosz, Tim Orosz, Chris Pick, Dick �Warmeister� Reece, Brian Rock,Rhet Schmidt, Terry Simo, Martin Turewicz
Scale Modelers: Dave Althouse, Owen Auer, Brian Barton, James Blackwell,Frank Blanton, Ronald Craig, Scott Dimmick, Paul Fanning, Ed Fortuna,Chick Franco, Manus Gallagher, Neal Gause, Steve Grammont, BobHamaker, Brock Hopkins, Jerry Jensen, Bill Klinger, James MacFarland,Eric MacIntyre, Tony Matteliano, Stuart Minton, Dan Norman, MichaelPetty, John Raucher, John Robinson Alex Smith, Andrew Smith, John SmithVIII, Bob Skladany, John Stimitz, Glenn Tarulli, Cherie Toulouse, RichardWakeland, Craig Whitaker, Bill Whitley, Mark Wolf
Special Thanks To: All participants of the CM Forum for their commentsand support
